


The Tin Man

by amitiel



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arguments, Change of Fate, Character Death, Fate & Destiny, Fate Change, Gladnis, Illness, Love, M/M, Major Illness, Misunderstandings, Pain, Past Torture, Promptis - Freeform, RavProm unrequited, Requited Love, Separation, Torture, True Love, Unrequited Love, World of Ruin, reunited, world of ruin big bang
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-12 23:40:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 26,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29143851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amitiel/pseuds/amitiel
Summary: The World of Ruin has consumed everything, leaving the chocobros to wait until Noctis' return. Gladio and Ignis aren't talking after Ignis stuck up for Ravus, but everything changes when they reunite and Prompto exhibits changes that concern them. In a desperate attempt to save him, they venture to Niflheim to determine what happened to him at Zegnautus Keep.It's then that Prompto is given a choice: Sacrifice himself instead of Noctis. Will he take the Six Astrals up on that offer? Or will he let fate take over and be left without him forever? And what about his friends? What about Ravus, begging him to stay?It leaves Prompto wondering, if he only had a heart... Then again, it's clear that he is Noctis' heart.
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia & Prompto Argentum & Noctis Lucis Caelum & Ignis Scientia, Gladiolus Amicitia & Prompto Argentum & Ravus Nox Fleuret & Noctis Lucis Caelum & Ignis Scientia, Gladiolus Amicitia/Ignis Scientia, Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum, Prompto Argentum/Ravus Nox Fleuret
Comments: 26
Kudos: 39
Collections: World of Ruin Big Bang





	1. Prologue: Zegnautus Keep

Prompto felt weak. Too weak. He opened his eyes with agonizing slowness as he came to, the overhead fluorescent lights nearly blinding him at first. Trying to move, he found that he was shackled to a cold metal table, unable to move any of his extremities, including his head. A strong sense of unease filled the very core of his body, and he tried to struggle against the shackles while also recognizing the futility of the matter.

As Prompto stopped struggling, panting and sweating from the struggle, he heard the sound of footsteps around him, echoing off the grey metal walls. His body was aching from the struggle, and he was pretty sure that he was bleeding around his wrists and ankles. That’s when he heard it. The laughter, deep and horrifying and like nails on a chalkboard as it seeped into the very core of his being.

“Look at you, you pathetic thing,” Ardyn Izunia said behind him. His voice was close, but Prompto couldn’t see beyond the fluorescent lights. Every fiber of Prompto’s being was telling him to get out, to find a way out of the shackles and escape. There wasn’t a way out, though. Ardyn had been so good at trapping him that any escape was impossible.

“Let me go!” Prompto tried weakly, his voice quivering as he spoke. There was more laughter from behind him, and he shuddered when he felt Ardyn’s breath, hot on his ear. 

“What makes you think that I would be willing to do something like that?” Ardyn whispered in his ear before kissing his neck. Prompto’s skin crawled, and his breathing became even shallower, the panic creeping into his system. 

Prompto struggled to look at Ardyn as he walked around the table and maneuvered to a tray table just next to him. He could vaguely see out of his perfferals the tools, medical instruments, and other objects he couldn’t quite identify. What was Ardyn going to do? Torture him? It wasn’t as if he had any information that he couldn’t give him. 

“We have quite some time before your beloved prince comes and finds you,” Ardyn mused with nearly a song in his voice. He picked up a scalpel and toyed with it in his hands, slicing his finger with his blade. “That means we have time to make some changes.”

“Wh-What are you trying to do to me?” Prompto asked, his tone soft and terrified instead of strong and resilient as his friends always were. He was afraid, and that fear was only escalating.

“I’m not trying to do anything,” Ardyn laughed, his voice echoing off the steel walls. The door to the room opened to Prompto’s left, and he noticed the men walking into the room in surgical gear. “I am going to make some adjustments. Upgrades, as you will. I’m sure your prince would love to see a better version of you.”

The way Ardyn said the word prince was as if he was annunciating each letter in the word, menacing and filling Prompto with a panic he couldn’t quite understand. It indicated that Ardyn very much knew that Prompto and Noctis were dating, that he was all set to defy the Empire and decline the obligation to marry Lunafreya. How did he know? They had kept it a secret for all this time, never cluing anyone into their love or their relationship.

Then he realized what Ardyn was saying. It wasn’t enough that Prompto was a clone; he wanted to complete the process and turn him into what he was supposed to be all along. A soft whimper escaped his lips as his worst dreams were about to be realized. Ardyn laughed at his pain as a surgeon approached one side of the table and began to look for a vein in his arm.

“Please don’t,” Prompto pleaded as tears filled his eyes. He let out a seething grimace as the surgeon inserted a needle into his arm. “Please… I don’t want to die.”

“Oh sweet thing,” Ardyn smiled as he lightly brushed Prompto’s cheek with his fingertips. “You’re not going to die. You’re going to be better than ever. Might as well enjoy the time you have left.”

“What?” Prompto asked achingly. The world around him began to get fuzzy, the edges of his vision blurring. “What are you… What…?”

Prompto was unable to finish his question. The world around him faded, and he could only hear Ardyn’s laughter as it echoed around him. Prompto felt himself slipping into the darkness, and he tried to reach up towards the light that was fading rapidly. There was an echoing sound around him, and he could barely make out the words being spoken around him. 

“Shame he won’t remember anything that’s happening,” a man’s voice said to his left.

“That’s the point,” Ardyn replied, his voice fading away. “I don’t want him to remember.”

Prompto opened his mouth to say something, but he closed his eyes and was lost to a deep sleep, unaware of the changes that he was about to endure.


	2. In the Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto reflects

“Dude, wake up,” Gladio said as he shook Prompto roughly, waking him from a deep sleep. Prompto startled awake, looking for the danger. When he found none, he sighed and relaxed back into his sleeping bag, looking up at the bright lights surrounding them to protect them from the eternal darkness. “You had another nightmare. The keep again?”

“Yeah,” Prompto replied, his voice coming out as more of a croak than an actual word. His mouth was dry, and he knew that he had to sit up and take over the guard, but he didn’t really want to, at least for a moment.

Right now he was at a safety point just outside of Lestallum, another successful mission to help some survivors done and over with. They were all trying to rest under the bright lights necessary to keep them alive. Prompto didn’t doubt that they were all plagued with nightmares, and he felt an odd sense of comfort knowing that he wasn’t alone in his pain. The old gas station was surrounded by gates and barbed wire, meant to keep the daemons and other dangerous creatures out in the eternal night. Prompto didn’t even know what it was like anymore to feel the sun on his skin, but he hoped that one day he would feel it again.

To Prompto, it wasn’t just a matter about feeling the sun on his skin. It meant that Noctis would return, that they could be together again. Prompto missed Noctis more and more each and every day, and the thought of his return was the only thing that kept him going. But the nights were long, unending, and seeds of doubt had been sown in many people. For Prompto, he held onto his hope, but other concerns left him wondering if he wouldn’t be there for Noctis’s return anyway.

“Do you think it’s not a dream?” Gladio asked Prompto as he finally got up and joined him on his watch. “I mean, you’ve dreamt it so many times that there has to be some truth to it, right?”

Prompto looked down at the barcode on his wrist, covered as usual to hide the truth from those who didn’t need to know. He thought about his dream, about the possibility of it being real, and he shuddered. Everything about it seemed so visceral and real, but that meant that Prompto had been altered irrevocably. The thing was, he didn’t feel any different. And after two years of darkness, nothing had happened to indicate that he was any different.

“I hope not,” Prompto replied. More than being altered, turned into a puppet for the Empire, Prompto thought about how Ardyn had expressed in the dream that he should enjoy the time he had left. It didn’t sound like a warning that he was going to take over Eos and keep the world in eternal darkness. The statement felt personal, like Prompto himself was running on borrowed time. “Maybe there’s someone I could ask about it.”

“You could always ask Ravus,” Gladio said with a sarcastic laugh. Prompto looked at him, his long hair growing out already. It was a point of pain for Gladio, one that made him bitter and angry. Prompto knew he already felt like he had failed Noctis as his Shield. With Ignis out there, fighting the good fight with Ravus, Prompto assumed that Gladio’s pain was immeasurable. 

“I don’t know,” Prompto said softly, trying not to get into it with him.

When they had encountered Ravus, there had been a big fight between Gladio and Ignis. Ignis thought that Ravus wasn’t beyond saving, that they could use him on their team, and Prompto knew it was because he had fought beside him in Altissia. Gladio thought that Ravus was ultimately going to betray them, and that he was still too much of a dick for him to be welcomed into their group. The result wasn’t pretty, and Ignis and Gladio ultimately had a falling out because of it. 

Prompto was shocked when it happened, and he hoped that it was a simple argument between lovers that would eventually get resolved. Yet Ignis and Gladio were both stubborn, and they went their separate ways, leaving Prompto caught in the middle. So he split his time between the two of them, helping out where he was needed, and sometimes just going out on his own. 

There was an unspoken rule between them all whenever Prompto was with Gladio or Ignis. They would make comments and passing remarks about each other, indicating that they were still constantly thinking about each other, but they would never directly ask Prompto how the other was doing. Prompto would make sure that they knew what was going on, and if there was something very wrong he had committed to just telling the other person. 

Deep down, he knew that Gladio and Ignis still loved each other. However, it was like since Noctis was taken into the Crystal that they were both consumed by their grief and took it out on each other. Prompto didn’t like it. The world was already dark and dangerous, and he knew that they needed to be as unified as possible. But how could he unify people when he was just a worthless clone? Noctis was the one who always kept them together, and now he was gone.

“You know, now that Eos is like this, we could always just go back to the keep,” Gladio offered, surprising Prompto. He didn’t know if he could do that. It wasn’t just the place where Ardyn had taken him, the place he had no memory of what had happened to him. It was the place where Noctis had been taken into the Crystal. It was the place where Prompto was left alone without the love of his life.

There was no surprise to anyone when Noctis and Prompto started dating in high school. Prompto finally worked up the courage to talk to him, and shortly afterwards they both experienced their first kiss with each other. Noctis later admitted that he always had a crush on Prompto, from the first moment he saw him back in elementary school. Prompto told him then that he didn’t feel worthy of even knowing him. It had been Noctis who had scoffed at him and told him now he knew that it didn’t matter what he looked like; he just liked Prompto for who he was.

The news that Noctis was being forced to marry Lunafreya came as a horrible punch to the gut when they both heard about it. It wasn’t handled well either. King Regis hadn’t told him about it until it was announced on the radio. When Noctis fought with him on the matter, the king had told him that there was no way he would ever let him marry Prompto, silencing the matter once and for all. Noctis had left Insomnia mad at his father, and Prompto blamed himself for the guilt Noctis felt. If he had just let go, then the argument wouldn’t have taken place at all.

Yet even after Insomnia fell, Noctis had insisted that he was never going to leave Prompto. Noctis had asserted that they would be together, that he would revoke the marriage to Lunafreya. He was even willing to go the distance and elope with Prompto long before they reached Altissia. It didn’t matter anyway. Lunafreya was dead, Prompto had been kidnapped, and Noctis was gone. The world was in darkness, and Prompto was alone.

“You know going back to the keep is a bad idea,” Prompto pointed out, making Gladio sigh and run his hands through his hair. “We couldn’t really ever go back without Ignis helping us. He’s the smart one.”

“Hey, I’m smart too,” Gladio objected, but he ultimately sighed again. “You’re right. Alright. I’m going to get some shut eye. Your turn to take over this post. When I wake up, we’ll move out.”

“Alright,” Prompto agreed. He pulled his gun out of the armiger and assumed his post, the only hope that he had that Noctis was going to return.


	3. Reunited

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gladio and Ignis meet after a time apart

“Well what do ya know?” Cindy asked as they approached the Hammerhead, the lights a shining beacon in the darkness. The gates behind them shut with a creaking of metal scraping the ground, a noise that Prompto hated more than anything. It was just another reminder that so much had changed, so much was different since Noctis was gone. “I didn’t expect to see ya here since Ignis and Ravus are here.”

“What?” Gladio asked, clearly startled by the information. Prompto groaned internally, wondering when Gladio and Ignis would both get their heads out of their asses and make up. He had gone between the two of them, fighting alongside them both to maintain whatever tenuous connection remained, endangering himself by going on long solo treks to meet up with them. 

“They’re inside,” Cindy commented, her hips swaying in that ethereal way that always caught Prompto off guard. There was no denying that he always thought Cindy was attractive, something that he got teased mercilessly for from Noctis and the others, but he respected her strength and fortitude more than her beauty. At the heart of everything Prompto did was Noctis, and he loved him more than he thought anyone else was beautiful or attractive.

“Great,” Prompto replied before Gladio could say anything disapproving. “It’ll mean I don’t have to make the solo trek out to wherever they are the next time they need me. We can just catch up here.”

It came out a bit harsher than Prompto intended it to, but he was exhausted after a long trip and getting tired of having to make things work between Gladio and Ignis. Neither of them really considered what Prompto had to do in order to work with them both, their stubbornness winning out over their logic and rationality. Prompto never thought he would be the rational one of the group, but then again, things had changed drastically in such a short time.

“You don’t always go alone, do you?” Gladio inquired as they walked towards the diner that was now an outpost for survivors. Booths were still erected in different areas of the diner, but most of them had been moved out to make way for weapons or medicines or cots for people to sleep on. They only had the singular goal of paving the way for Noctis to return and saving as many people as possible. All the comforts that previously existed before were superfluous at best.

“Yeah, I do,” Prompto replied. He was exhausted, tired of the nightmares, and more than a bit cranky from the trip. There was also a bitterness there that he felt but never quite mentioned with Gladio or Ignis. Noctis was gone, the love of his life was gone, and Gladio and Ignis were separated due to a stupid squabble. It aggravated him that they refused to get it together and make up when he would do anything to have Noctis in his arms again.

There was a long silence as Prompto spotted Ignis and Ravus in a corner, the white haired man dressing a wound on Ignis’s forehead. They seemed close, but Prompto knew that Ignis was just tolerating Ravus’s doting to try and help him. After all, Ignis was the only one who gave him a chance, and whenever Prompto wasn’t there to help Ignis until he got used to being blind, Ravus was on hand. That role should’ve gone to Gladio, but Prompto knew that neither Ravus nor Ignis were interested in dating each other.

“Hey Ignis,” Prompto said as he approached them both, his guns going back to the armiger. “Hey Ravus. How’s it going?”

“Ignis thought it was a good idea to go after a daemon on his own,” Ravus retorted, his usual sneer softened by his tone of concern. Prompto noticed how his hair was getting longer, and he thought about his own hair. Eventually it would get too long. “He made it out, but not without a cut and a few bruises.”

“You’d think that I broke my arm or something,” Ignis objected, waving Ravus away. “I’m fine. I’m not the first to get a cut or a bruise, and I won’t be the last.”

Ignis grew silent as Prompto and Gladio walked towards them, unable to avoid the Shield once and for all. Prompto knew nothing would come of it, that they would end up either arguing or not speaking at all. It took everything in his power not to roll his eyes and swat them both with a rolled up newspaper like a puppy who had made a mess.

Why couldn’t they just understand that time was short and they might one day lose their chance forever? Prompto would have given anything each second of his life to have Noctis come back to him. If it meant Noctis was alive and healthy and not lost in some Crystal, then Prompto would gladly give up his own life. He’d give up everything just to have Noctis back. Why couldn’t Gladio and Ignis do the same?

“How was the trip?” Ignis asked finally as Prompto sat across from him in a booth that they had occupied. Ravus was standing up to take care of Ignis, and Gladio stood behind Prompto, his arms folded across his chest. “I’m glad you made it safely.”

“Same as always,” Prompto replied with a shrug. It was the truth. They had some battles, saved some people, then continued on their way. It had been the same routine ever since the darkness descended, engulfing the world in eternal fear. Things wouldn’t change for a while yet. “Three years of the same thing, over and over again.”

“And your nightmares?” Ignis inquired, making Prompto shift nervously in his seat. “Are they still about the keep?”

“Yeah,” Prompto replied, not exactly lying. Now half of his dreams were about Zegnautus Keep. The other half were the pleasant dreams about holding Noctis in his arms again. He wasn’t sure which hurt worse, but he supposed everyone would expect him to have those dreams too. “About a year ago, Gladio suggested I go to Niflheim and figure out what happened to me there. I don’t know if we could survive the trip, though.”

“It’s worth considering,” Ravus interjected, nodding in approval. “A lot happened there from what you’ve told me. I think if we all went together, Gladio included, we could make it.”

“You told him?” Gladio grumbled, clearly unhappy that Ravus was no longer considered an enemy and an outsider in Ignis and Prompto’s eyes.

“Yes, I did.” Prompto looked up at Gladio, his exhaustion taking his crankiness to a level of irritability. “He’s my friend, Gladio. And you were the one to suggest that I talk to him about it in the first place.”

There was another silence as they all had to consider that this was the first time in three years that Ignis and Gladio had been face to face. The atmosphere was tense, and Prompto knew why. They clearly loved each other, but neither of them were willing to fix it. Right now, it was better just to focus on what was going on around them, though. It wasn’t Prompto’s place to fix it, and it wasn’t going to be solved any time soon.

“What do you think?” Ignis asked, his head turning to vaguely address Ravus. He still had those habits of looking towards the people he was addressing, even though he couldn’t see anyone. “Do you think going there would be beneficial?”

“The worst case is that we go and pick up some weaponry that we can use,” Ravus considered with a nod. “I expect there to be some food leftover in the vending machines as well. We could definitely use anything like that.”

“But going all the way to Niflheim just for that seems like a bit of a waste and too dangerous,” Gladio retorted, his tone having a gruff edge to it. “We’re taking a huge risk when we could put it towards helping others here.”

“We are helping someone here,” Ignis argued. “We’re helping Prompto. I think he deserves to know what happened when he was taken by Ardyn. Staying here won’t help. He’s not remembering anything other than the same thing on repeat.”

Gladio let out a long sigh that Prompto felt on the back of his neck, a sigh of resignation and consternation. “You’re right. Prom’s been working hard for the past three years without knowing anything that happened.”

“I think… I think Ardyn did something to me,” Prompto admitted, knowing that he kept a part of his dream a secret from them. They all looked at him; even Ignis faced forward. “In my dream, there are some doctors that come in while Ardyn tells me that he’s going to make some upgrades while we waited for you guys to come get me. I just want to know if it’s all a bad dream or if something really did happen.”

This time the silence was different. It was one of concern, like they were looking at a ticking time bomb waiting to go off. Prompto had always felt the gap between them since the keep. With Noctis, nothing had changed. They were still lovers, still hanging onto each other as tightly as possible. With Ignis and Gladio, they clearly had a bit more difficulty coming to terms with the fact that he was a clone. It wasn’t as if Prompto wanted to be a clone. He would give anything to be normal. But his life had never been normal, and right now he had other things to worry about.

“Then I think that settles it,” Gladio decided. “Let’s find a way to get there and figure out what happened. Hopefully we don’t have to go that far for you to remember.”

“Prompto,” Ravus said, not necessarily ignoring Gladio. “Do you have a moment? Perhaps we can discuss an alternative method to get the truth. We could use the weaponry and food, but I want to exhaust all options first.”

“Sure,” Prompto replied. He stood up at Ravus’s indication to do so and followed Ravus outside, leaving Gladio and Ignis alone. Prompto didn’t know if it was an attempt to get Gladio and Ignis to make amends or if he genuinely had an idea.

“I think I’d prefer to face ten flan then deal with the tension between them,” Ravus commented once they were outside and away from others yet still behind the gate and basking in the fluorescent lights. “How are you holding up, Prompto?”

“I’m alright,” Prompto replied honestly. “Just tired all the time. And missing Noctis. I just want him back already. What about you?”

“You two have been together since high school, so that makes sense,” Ravus said with a nod. “I’m alright. Tired as well. We’ve been working with some Kingsglaives recently, which really helped. They’ve been a liaison between Cor and us while we’re trying to help any survivors we can find. But… Prompto, if you’ve been dreaming about Ardyn and the keep all this time, I think it might be more truth than fiction.”

“You’re right,” Prompto sighed, running his hand through the back of his hair that was already reaching his shoulders. “I don’t know what to do though. It is too dangerous to go to Niflheim, and I don’t want anyone to put themselves in danger because of me. But at this point, I need to know.”

“I have an idea,” Ravus considered, peaking Prompto’s curiosity. “I have a prosthetic arm, obviously. If Ardyn did anything to you, I would imagine he did some sort of mechanical changes. I think it would be easier to break into a hospital and find an x-ray machine. That seems like a safer alternative.”

“But there’s no power,” Prompto pointed out, his frown and concern growing. What if Ardyn did do something like that? What if he attempted to turn him into a full magitek trooper but didn’t have the chance to finish the job? What if Prompto was compromised, and all it would take was for Noctis to return for the truth to reveal itself?

“We would have to find a generator and bring it with us,” Ravus explained. “One that’s powerful enough to handle the machine. It’s worth a shot.”

“Maybe,” Prompto conceded, although he wasn’t really happy with either idea. There had to be an easier way to find out what had happened, right? “What about a hypnotist? Do you know of anyone here that-”

“Make way!” Cid shouted as several people rushed through the open gate, carrying someone on a makeshift stretcher. “Get the medic! It looks like this guy’s been through hell.”

Prompto and Ravus immediately stepped to the side as two men carried the wounded man on the stretcher and into the diner, the blood clearly terrible and painful to even look at. They followed them inside, quick to see if there was anything they could do to help. Everyone helped everyone, and no one would be excluded from helping. Then again, no one wanted to get out of helping others. It was bad enough that they had to live in perpetual darkness, surrounded by daemons. Being alone just made it worse.

“He’s badly hurt,” Cid announced as a medic approached them. “Not sure if he’s gonna make it.”

“We’ll do our best,” the medic replied with a nod. He had on medical scrubs, something that he luckily had on him since he had been a doctor before everything changed. Prompto watched in horror as the medic tried to help the man, but it was pretty clear that he was dying.

“Come on,” Ravus said, pulling Prompto away. “There’s no point in sticking around. They can handle this.”

Just as Prompto turned to walk away, he heard more shouting outside. It was frantic, scared, and a siren sounded shortly after. Prompto knew what that meant. There were daemons surrounding the outpost, trying to break through the gates and hurt them despite their other protections. They had no choice but to fight, regardless of how exhausted Prompto was.

“You good?” Gladio asked Prompto as he and Ignis ran over to him, the group making their way back outside. Gladio summoned his shield and a broadsword from the armiger at the same time Ignis summoned his daggers and Prompto summoned his gun.

“Does it matter?” Prompto retorted, knowing what the response would be. Everything was done for the benefit of the survivors. If one fell, as long as the rest were okay, it didn’t matter. 

“Come on,” Ignis called as he pressed forward, drawing their attention away. Prompto and the others followed him, ready to take on whatever daemons were on their way. “They must have smelled the blood.”

“Let’s show them how vulnerable we really are,” Gladio exclaimed, his voice a low growl. “They’ll regret ever coming this way.”

Prompto didn’t say anything. They knew that they had to fight outside the fence, but they also knew that they were the best people for the job. As the gate opened and they hurriedly stepped on the other side, Prompto made a silent wish hoping that they would get through it safely. What happened to him could wait. Right now they had a more important job to do.


	4. Unanswered Questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Questions about what happened to Prompto surface

“Fuck, Ravus! C’mon already!” Gladio seethed, waiting for Ravus to finish his attack. Prompto intercepted, running quickly and breathlessly in front of Gladio, sliding one knee on the ground as he aimed at the daemon and pulled the trigger. A burst of bright white light illuminated just above them, the elemancy of his bullet wounding the daemons enough for Ignis and Ravus to finish them off in tandem with Gladio holding them back.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, they were able to fight off the daemons before they swept across the land surrounding the Hammerhead, all of them exhausted and in need of rest. Gladio sighed and helped Prompto to his feet, thankful that he could at least rely on him for help. Try as he might, he couldn’t stop his gaze from following Ignis as he walked over to Ravus and made sure he was okay. Pain coursed through his body, a pain that wouldn’t go away with Noctis’s return. The only one who could fix it was unwilling to. Gladio knew that if Ignis just said the right damn words then he’d crumble in his arms. It didn’t look likely to happen.

“Great job, Prom,” Gladio complimented as he clapped him on the back, careful to avoid Ravus’s stare. “Let’s get going back.”

They weren’t too far out, just far enough for the daemons not to make it to the gates. It happened every now and then. The daemons got curious and wanted to see if there were any vulnerabilities to try and take them down. That wasn’t going to happen. Not as long as Gladio was around. He knew Prompto felt the same way, as did Ignis, as much as they weren’t in communication right now.

“You guys coming?” Prompto called to Ignis and Ravus as they made their way back. “I think it’s time we get some r-... res-...”

Gladio looked at Prompto curiously, a worry blossoming within his chest as he noticed the fear in his eyes. Something was wrong. It felt like Gladio was watching Prompto fall in slow motion as his knees gave out and he fell to the ground. Quickly, he crouched down and put his arms around him, holding him close.

“Prompto?” Gladio asked, his desperation growing when he didn’t respond. “Prompto? What’s wrong?! Where are you hurt?”

“Glad...io?” Prompto asked, but it didn’t sound like Prompto. It sounded metallic, like a robot or a machine speaking through Prompto. He looked up at Gladio as the others surrounded them to see what was wrong. Gladio let out an audible gasp of surprise and shock. Prompto’s left eye was glowing red, almost like he was made of metal. 

There was a strange moment where Prompto looked at him curiously, or perhaps he was looking past him, and he tilted his head to the side as he stared. Gladio reached out to try and assess him, but as he did Prompto collapsed. Panicking, Gladio caught him in his arms and hoisted him up as he stood, looking at Ignis and Ravus with a fear he never felt before.

“We need to get him to safety,” Gladio said before he took off, running towards the Hammerhead. He wasn’t sure if the others there would handle this well, so as the gates opened, he quickly ran towards a private area of the base. Cid and Cindy caught his eye and followed alongside Ignis and Ravus, the group all worried about the one guy who probably deserved the sunshine more than anyone on Eos.

“What happened?” Ignis asked as they took Prompto into the garage, the one place that was reserved for only Cindy and Cid to tinker around in so they could enhance the weapons and provide upgrades.

“I don’t know,” Gladio replied, his voice a low growl of worry and concern. “He… He…”

“He’s a magitek trooper,” Ravus finished for him as they laid Prompto on a table, looking for signs of life. He was breathing, his eyes closed, while Cindy and Cid took a look at his condition. Gladio looked at Ravus, a glare in his eyes.

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Gladio demanded. Ignis immediately stood between them to ensure that Gladio wouldn’t swing at Ravus. “Are you saying he’s a mindless drone?”

“Calm down you two or I’m going to kick yer asses out of here!” Cid snapped before Ravus could dignify a response. “Now, Cindy and I are going to run some assessments. You guys all get something to eat and drink, and I’ll come get ya when we’re done.”

Cid gave them a look that indicated there was no room for argument. With a sigh of frustrated worry, Gladio obeyed. He walked away after giving Prompto a long look of worry, following Ravus and Ignis out of the building. The others looked at them with speculative fear, no doubt worrying that Prompto had been hurt. Within the three year time period, Prompto had become a fixture amongst the survivors. He was the one who kept everyone going, the one who kept the hope and peace that Noctis would return. Without him… 

Gladio stopped that thought in its tracks, unable to fathom the idea of losing Prompto. They had already lost Noctis with no indication when he would return. How could they manage without Prompto? Gladio wasn’t sure that he could. He was his best friend, his brother, and the only one who had gotten him through the periods of darkness. Prompto couldn’t go anywhere. Gladio wouldn’t allow it, if he could help it.

“What are you two whispering about?” Gladio snapped when he heard Ravus and Ignis behind them, their voices low. He looked at them, anger in his eyes. Whether it was because of the past or what Ravus had suggested, he couldn’t be sure. Probably both.

“We’re concerned for Prompto,” Ignis replied with no small amount of tension in his voice. Gladio had a hard time looking at Ignis at times, the scars from Altissia and his blindness a perpetual reminder of his failure to protect the man he loved. “He’s already been endangering himself too much, and I am afraid this may be a byproduct of overwork.”

“A byproduct of overwork?” Gladio asked incredulously. “Did you miss what I saw there? Did you even hear his voice?!”

“Of course I heard it,” Ignis remarked, the bite in his voice rising. “I’m postulating that he has been overworked and that’s what led to this overload.”

“How can you talk about this like he just needs a good night’s sleep and he’ll be fine?!” Gladio demanded, his panic turning to outward anger directed and Ignis and Ravus. “Fucking Six, this is Prompto we’re talking about!”

“I know it’s Prompto!” Ignis yelled at him, a deafening silence echoing behind his words as they both faced each other. Even with Ignis’s blindness, his eyes were trained on Gladio, angry and scathing. How did things end up like this between them? It shouldn’t have gone this way. Ignis’s voice was calm and calculated when he spoke again. Gladio noticed the slight waver, though, and realized he was just as worried about Prompto. “I’m trying to find a cause and a solution, Gladio. To help him.”

“You said that he had been taken by Ardyn and later recovered in Zegnautus Keep,” Ravus interjects, turning his attention to Ignis, although he was clearly addressing both of them. “The chances of Ardyn doing something to Prompto were near certain before this. Now, it confirms it.”

“He’s always had an unhealthy obsession with Prompto,” Ignis added with a nod. “But what do you think was done to him, exactly?”

“We three know what he is,” Ravus said quietly, glancing around to make sure no one was paying attention to them or listening in. When had Prompto told Ravus he was a clone? Gladio had thought he kept that close to the chest, preferring not to talk about it at all. “I wouldn’t doubt that Ardyn had what he considers ‘fun’ with Prompto and did some things to turn him into a magitek.”

“But he’s not a full magitek,” Ignis pointed out. Gladio could almost see him thinking about it. “There are too many unanswered questions. Why? What’s the purpose of doing this to him other than torture? What exactly was done to him? What does this mean for his… his future?”

Gladio knew what Ignis was getting at. Would Prompto be able to survive with whatever changes were made to his body, or was this the start of a long and painful death? He ran his hand through his hair, his fear of losing Prompto turning to anger and despair. It was too good to think that Ardyn didn’t do something to Prompto while he was under his thumb. Gladio was just hoping it wasn’t something permanent.

“Fuck!” Gladio shouted, kicking a nearby set of tires stacked high. They wavered but didn’t topple, and he covered his hand with his mouth to prevent a stifled sob from escaping his lips. He couldn’t, wouldn’t, let Ravus see him fall apart. Without another word, he walked away from them, heading towards the gates to maintain the watch. It was something he could do, something he could control. Everything else was spiraling, but he could keep watch.

“Gladio,” Ignis said behind him, his footsteps light and nearly impossible to hear. When had he become so furtive in his movements? Gladio turned around and looked at Ignis, his heart tearing in two. Noctis was gone, Ignis and he had a falling out, and Prompto was currently unconscious with no indication that he was going to live. When had things become so hopeless? “Prompto will get through this.”

“How do you know?” Gladio asked, a sense of vulnerability pulling him towards Ignis. He could always let go of his anger around Ignis in the past, always let him see his weaknesses and failures. But Ignis was now one of his failures, and Gladio knew there was no forgiving that. He couldn’t forgive himself for being unable to protect them all. 

“Because it’s Prompto,” Ignis replied with an assurance Gladio didn’t feel. “He’s a fighter, Gladio. If it was you or me… I don’t know if we’d make it through this. But with Prompto? He’s not going anywhere. Not until he sees Noctis again.”

“What about after then?” Gladio asked, a worrying ache blossoming in his heart. “What if Noctis returns tomorrow? Do we lose Prompto then?”

“There are too many unanswered questions,” Ignis admitted with a forlorn pout. Gladio would’ve taken him into his arms in the past and held him tight to kiss away his worries in the past. But this was no longer the past, and the night was very long. “I fear that the only way we will get the answers we seek is to go to Niflheim.”

“Go to the source,” Gladio rephrased, noticing the grim nod from Ignis. There was a long silence as they both contemplated what was becoming an ever growing necessity to get the answers they needed. If they didn’t, then there was no telling if Prompto would even live. “Has… Has he acted any differently when he’s with you two?”

Ignis was quiet for a moment. “He’s tired. I’m sure he’s told you that he has nightmares still of the keep. Or he dreams of Noctis, even though he won’t admit it. It depends on if he wakes up in a panic or wakes up in tears. He won’t tell me what he remembers though.”

“Same here,” Gladio replied. “It’s wearing him down, though. Fuck, Ig. What are we going to do? Go all the way to Niflheim?”

“He would for us,” Ignis said quietly. “He wouldn’t even hesitate.”

“I know,” Gladio sighed. There wasn’t really a choice. They were going to have to figure this out. Prompto wouldn’t pause to go out of his way to help them. He looked at Ignis, trying to find the right words to say. There weren’t any. Nothing would repair what had been done. “How have you been, Ig?”

Ignis looked startled by the question, and he trained his scarred face towards the unending night above them. Even with his scars, Ignis was still gorgeous. Gladio hoped that Ravus was treating him well. He deserved someone to make him happy, and Gladio didn’t think he could do that ever again. That was, if he ever did in the first place. 

“The same as everyone, I suppose,” Ignis replied. “Although I have grown accustomed to the dark far faster than anyone else.”

“You move like before,” Gladio admitted. He wanted to reach out and pull Ignis into his arms, but he couldn’t. “It’s… It’s good to talk to you again, Ig. Three years was a long time.”

Gladio watched as Ignis’s surprise turned soft on his features, almost like there was a pain he was struggling with. Was it the same pain Gladio felt? He couldn’t be sure. There had been too much that had gone unsaid between them. The chances of being able to rekindle what they had was nigh impossible.

“Alright, boys,” Cid called before Ignis could respond. They shifted their attention to the older man, both of them waiting with bated breath for the news. “Prom’s awake. Come talk to him.”

Gladio made to say something to Ignis, but the man moved before he could say anything. Watching as he walked away from him, Gladio sighed and followed. Whatever was between them was lost now. They lost their chance a long time ago. Right now, they had to focus on Prompto. They had to figure out what had been done to him. 

When they entered the garage, Prompto was sitting up on the table with Cindy’s arms around him, comforting him. His back was turned to Gladio, but he noticed that Prompto was hunched over more than usual, and Cindy seemed to be comforting him in an attempt to soothe herself. She released him as Gladio and Ignis approached, and Gladio immediately took assessment of Prompto’s expression. He looked worried, concerned, but his eye wasn’t that horrible red anymore.

“Prom,” Gladio said as he cupped his brother’s face with his too-large hands. “Thank the Six, you’re awake.”

“I’m alright,” Prompto said, his voice hoarse but the typical tones that Gladio expected. “I… Ardyn did something to me.”

“We’re going to Niflheim to figure out what it is he did,” Ignis replied for Gladio. “We won’t let you just wait and hope that you’re okay.”

“I’m going with you,” Prompto declared. It wasn’t wholly surprising to Gladio, but he still didn’t like the resolute calm in his tone. “Before you object, I’m going. It’s my life. I want to know what he did. And… And how long I have if there’s something wrong. I need to know.”

“Well that settles it,” Ravus said behind them. “Looks like we’re going to Niflheim.”


	5. Haunted Places

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group visits Zegnautus Keep

It took a good year to get to Niflheim, thanks to the perpetual darkness and the constant daemon attacks, never mind how difficult it was to secure transport across a body of water. Ignis would be remiss to assume that the tension between him and Gladio would naturally lessen over time, and he had a decent feeling it was due to Ravus still. Only this time it appeared as random, jealous longing.

There was no anger, which Ignis was almost glad for. To see Gladio’s anger subside over time was a blessing and a curse. Anger was something Ignis was used to from him. He could handle Gladio’s anger. What Ignis couldn’t handle was Gladio’s painful longing, the moments when he could sense Gladio staring at him, wanting to be with him but unable to just take the step to talk to him. 

Ignis thought about speaking with Gladio time after time. Several times he made to try, but Gladio always made the excuse that he had to check in on Prompto. Ravus was nothing but encouraging, his sudden shift from dangerous enemy to well-prepared companion both shocking and comforting. At some point, Ignis suspected that Gladio thought he and Ravus were dating. It couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, Ravus had admitted to Ignis several times that he had feelings for Prompto. 

They would always go unrequited, of course. Prompto had only ever loved Noctis, likely from the first moment they met, and the absence of his lover would do nothing to deter him from that love. As long as there was some sort of hope that Noctis would return, Prompto would hang on. It was one of the reasons why Ignis always hesitated to tell Prompto the truth of what had happened in Altissia, the truth of what he had seen. No matter how many times he tried, he always rationalized that it would happen one way or another. There was no sense in worrying Prompto.

Prompto’s health was also of particular concern, distracting Ignis from telling him other things or doing something about what happened between him and Gladio. Since that night at The Hammerhead, Prompto’s health seemed to be on the decline. One moment he would be okay, but the next he would exhibit symptoms of either being a magitek trooper or of having a mysterious illness that couldn’t be easily cured. It wasn’t for lack of trying, either. All of them pitched in so they could try and find a cure, but they didn’t even know what they had to treat.

As Prompto’s hair got longer, his health got worse. Potions turned into hi-potions, and at times he needed elixirs just to get up for the trek. The worst days were luckily few and far between, yet those ones were the worst. Prompto’s breathing was ragged, and he seemed so frail. Gladio carried him on his back, and Ravus stayed by his side during the nights. Ignis supplied the potions and other curatives to assist him. They all worked as a team, but Ignis always felt like he could do more. Prompto was the one who really helped him with his blindness; to be unable to return the favor was painful, to say the least.

Recently, Prompto was having more good days than bad days, and Ignis felt like he was getting his old friend back. He didn’t know how long it would last, and Prompto’s energy really wasn’t where it used to be, but he kept moving onward and trying his best. There were many thank yous and even more apologies, not only for the trip but also for his health, yet Ignis dismissed them just as Ravus and Gladio had done. Prompto would have easily done everything possible for them, and he had in the past. It was their turn to repay the favor.

When they reached Niflheim, the number of daemons reduced dramatically. When they entered Gralea, it was practically empty. And when they reached Zegnautus Keep, no one else was there. Ignis sensed the silence, eerie in its emptiness, and every fiber of his being practically screamed to get out of there. While no one wanted to confront a daemon, the absence of other people seemed strange and foreign in a once bustling location.

Yet Ignis remained as stoic as always, trying to make sure he kept himself alert yet calm for the others. Everyone was cautious when they started the trip through the keep, looking for what answers Prompto needed. In truth, they all needed to find out the truth. It was particularly important because Prompto had kept them all together, the tenuous connection that gave them all hope of Noctis’s return. It was more than his blind faith in Noctis, too. Prompto reminded everyone of the sunshine, even Ignis. Just because he couldn’t see didn’t mean that Prompto’s infectious personality didn’t impact him all the same.

“Where do you suppose we can find our answers?” Ignis asked them all once they had entered the keep and realized that it was empty. “It is a rather large area, after all.”

“They probably have a recording of what happened in the control room,” Ravus considered helpfully. “And then for anything else, I suspect there’s a backup of Besithia’s research here.”

There was a grimace of a silence for more than one reason. The mention of Verstael Besithia would naturally leave a bad taste in Prompto’s mouth. Clone or not, the man was Prompto’s father, although he didn’t act like it from the beginning. Several times Prompto had expressed that he considered himself lucky for being raised by someone as wonderful as Cor Leonis. He didn’t get to see his adoptive father as much now that they were all constantly working hard, but Ignis suspected that many times Cor went out of his way to go to the Hammerhead just to see his son. Ignis often wondered if Prompto told Cor about what was going on.

Then there was the obvious issue of Ravus’s presence in general. Ignis had been the first to defend Ravus and welcome him to their side, knowing what had happened in Altissia and how that had irrevocably changed him. Yet he had been on Niflheim’s side before that, had an abrasive attitude in general, and was someone that many didn’t trust. Ignis would’ve been a fool to trust him from the beginning, but over time he learned that it was okay to depend on him. Through the years, Prompto had seemed to learn to trust Ravus, yet Gladio never wavered. 

Ignis supposed it was very much Gladio’s stubbornness, just as he was too stubborn to concede to his ex-lover’s point. The argument that he and Gladio had was more than just about Ignis defending Ravus and trying to convince Gladio that they needed his knowledge and expertise. One more hand to help their cause was certainly of benefit. However, the argument they had was about something else entirely, an argument that spanned all of the hurt and blame that they all shouldered for what had happened. Gladio took it the hardest, and Ignis knew that he blamed himself for his blindness. He thought it better that they separate. Ignis didn’t want to serve as an unfortunate reminder of Gladio’s perceived shortcomings. 

“Well I guess we shouldn’t wait,” Prompto offered, his voice nervous as it floated in the space between them. There was a tension between them all that wouldn’t easily go away, and right now it was just best to focus on the task at hand. More than the tension in the air, there was a pain in Prompto’s voice. Ignis knew that they were all hoping for the best, but a sense of foreboding had settled within Ignis’s chest, telling him that something was very wrong.

“Let’s go,” Gladio said, taking charge. “Ravus, you lead. Ignis, stick with Prompto and help him as he needs it. And no, Prompto, I’m not going to let you object. I’ll take up the rear.”

It was a sound plan. Ravus would know where to go better than anyone. Ignis didn’t know how Gladio felt about having Ravus take the lead, but he supposed that his former lover was much more comfortable with having someone to protect. He didn’t like that Gladio was likely lumping him into the same group as Prompto since Prompto was sick and he was blind, but right now it was better not to protest. By the way that Prompto sounded like he was suffering, Ignis was better suited to help him.

Ignis knew it was going to be an arduous process to find what they were looking for in the labyrinthine structure that brought back so many memories that they would all rather forget. There was a silence between them as they all undoubtedly reflected on what had happened the last time they were all together. They found Prompto, who was a bit bruised but otherwise okay, and they had lost Noctis. It wasn’t to say that Noctis wasn’t coming back. He made his way into the Crystal kicking and screaming, but there was a promise on his lips to return.

“I don’t like being here,” Prompto said as they navigated room after room, trying to find the information that they needed. It could take forever to find it, and Ignis was grateful that the daemons seemed to want to naturally shy away from such a place. He wondered if it was because there was residual energy from the Crystal there. They had managed to store the Crystal itself into the armiger, hiding it away from Ardyn and anyone else who would do some dastardly with it.

“I don’t think any of us do,” Gladio said gruffly. “This place doesn’t bring back a bunch of warm and fuzzy memories.”

“That’s not it,” Prompto tried, a desperation in his voice. “Or maybe it is. I don’t know. It just feels wrong. Like something happened here. Something bad.”

Ignis reached out and put his hand on Prompto’s shoulder, sensing his presence next to him. It was little solace, he knew, but the attempt to at least try and console him was there. Prompto felt frail to his touch, like he had lost even more weight than he should’ve. It concerned Ignis, making him wonder if Prompto was eating correctly or if his body just wasn’t absorbing the nutrients he needed. Either way, Prompto was getting weaker by the day.

“A lot has happened here,” Ignis tried, knowing that it wouldn’t particularly help. “Your mind and body is likely feeling what you have forgotten.”

“That’s not… it,” Prompto said, his voice hesitating as he stepped away from Ignis. “Noctis?”

The frozen silence was only interrupted by the sound of Prompto taking a small step forward. Before any of them could react, Prompto took off, running after whatever afterimage of the past he had seen. Gladio shouted for him, but Prompto was always the fastest amongst them all. They had no choice but to pursue, and Ignis carefully listened to Prompto’s fading footsteps to track where he was going. Ravus and Gladio seemed to have a good eye on where he was running to, but Ignis had learned a long time ago to rely only on his own senses.

“Prompto!” Ravus called out to him as they rounded yet another corner and continued onward. Ignis heard Prompto calling for Noctis again, and the wound in his heart felt like it was going to bleed through his clothes once more. Noctis was both a hole in his heart that bled regularly, one that weeped for the darkness and for the future they would all have to face. And right now it screamed for Prompto, knowing that the moment Noctis came back, Prompto would have to prepare to lose him again.

Finally, they caught up to Prompto and found him in a cold room. He had collapsed on the floor, and Gladio walked over to him while Ravus whispered to Ignis, explaining that they were in some sort of operating room, and Prompto was on his knees, crying. No doubt, Prompto had genuinely expected to find Noctis waiting for him. Perhaps it was just some fever dream come to life, his subconscious desires seeping into his conscious reality. Or perhaps it was something more insidious, a trick played by Ardyn or many of the others who sought to hurt them. Either way, Ignis pulled his daggers out of the armiger and was ready, just in case.

“I saw him,” Prompto sobbed. Ignis sensed the shift in pressure and knew that Gladio had helped Prompto to his feet or was carrying him. “I swear I saw him.”

“It’s okay, Prom,” Gladio said softly, with a kindness and gentleness that Ignis hadn’t heard in so long. It made his heart hurt for an entirely different reason, and Ignis wondered if maybe Gladio had developed feelings for Prompto after all. It wouldn’t have exactly been a surprise. Prompto was someone who engendered warmth. There was a point in everyone’s lives who met him where they considered falling for the blond. Even Ignis was no exception. He just had that effect on everyone he met. It was no surprise that the prince of Lucis fell in love with him, after all.

“Prompto might be onto something,” Ravus said, making Ignis’s heart stutter at the thought. Was Noctis nearby? “Whatever or whoever he saw seemed to lead him to what we needed.”

Ignis listened as Ravus stepped across the room and grabbed something. “Is that what I think it is?” Gladio asked, his voice more concerned than curious.

“It’s a drive,” Ravus explained to Ignis. “With a note attached to it. It looks like Ardyn’s handwriting.”

“What does it say?” Ignis asked, taking a step towards Ravus as if he could still see what was written. 

“‘For Prompto. No doubt you’ll want to know how magnanimous you are now.’ It looks like Ardyn anticipated Prompto to come back for this.” Ravus’s voice sounded concerned, and Ignis knew why. It meant that Prompto had likely been altered in ways they didn’t even know. 

“We need to go,” Gladio insisted. There was a shuffling, and Ignis recognized the sound of Gladio picking Prompto up. “We need to find out what that says.”

“We need rest,” Ignis argued. “This is likely the safest place right now. Let’s find a place to rest, and then we’ll take a look at that.”

There were some mutterings of agreement, and they all set out to find sleeping quarters. Ignis wanted Prompto to rest more than anyone right now. He wanted to make sure Prompto was ready for whatever was waiting for him. Ignis wanted to make sure that they all were ready for the worst possible news.


	6. No Way Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto discovers the truth

_Sunlight filtered through the windows as dawn quickly approached, threatening to destroy another night of frivolity and games. Prompto didn’t like staying up all night all the time, but this was an occasion where he figured he could just enjoy Noctis’s company. After all, it wasn’t as if they got together to do this often. Noctis had his royal duties, and Prompto was just a commoner. That they were friends at all was a miracle. It was no wonder that Prompto couldn’t believe that he was dating Noctis._

_While everyone else seemed to care that Noctis was the prince and would one day have to take over the throne, Prompto just loved him for who he was. Noctis had shyly admitted that he had a crush on him, that Prompto was one of the few who treated him as a normal person, and he had gotten to know him and fall in love. Prompto couldn’t believe that Noctis, the guy he had a crush on since he saw him in elementary school, was suddenly confessing. To him._

_Now they were spending nights and days together, especially after Noctis figured out that Prompto pretty much lived on his own. Ignis and Gladio had initially scolded them for the amount of time that Prompto was spending over at his place until they explained the situation. Since then, Ignis and Gladio had all but tried to get him to commit to moving in with him. The only roadblock was the king, someone who vehemently objected to their relationship. Prompto knew that Noctis’s father likely hated him, but Noctis somehow always was able to make him think that it wouldn’t matter in the end._

_“Dude, we should get some sleep,” Prompto said as he looked up at Noctis, his head resting on the prince’s lap. “I think we’re supposed to be human sometimes and do that thing called going to bed.”_

_“Why? When I have you right here with me,” Noctis replied with a smile, looking down at Prompto while he paused his game. He leaned forward and kissed Prompto’s lips, the feeling of his warmth cascading through Prompto’s body._

_“Dork,” Prompto teased, his voice barely a whisper, as Noctis pulled away. He sat up and straddled Noctis, placing his hands on his prince’s shoulders while Noctis placed his hands on Prompto’s hips. “Who taught you how to seduce like that? No wait. I know. That’s a Gladio line.”_

_“Guilty,” Noctis replied, his smile brighter than the sun. “There’s just one thing I need you to do.”_

_“What’s that?” Prompto asked, a kiss dancing on his lips, waiting for his boyfriend to reciprocate._

_“I need you to wake up,” Noctis smiled, running his hand through Prompto’s hair._

_“What?” Prompto asked, sitting back confused. He looked around and realized the walls of the apartment were crumbling away, revealing nothing but darkness. Panicking, he looked back at Noctis and saw his eyes were now black, his lips oozing the scourge, his sweet smile not turned to a sickening grin. “No.”_

_Prompto tried to get up, but Noctis had a hold of him. Suddenly, everything around him turned to darkness, and when he opened his eyes he was on an operating table. The sound of Ardyn’s laughter echoed around him, and he found that he couldn’t move. A soft whimper escaped his lips as a guttural scream tempted to climb out of his throat._

“Prompto!” Ravus called to him, waking him up quickly. Prompto’s eyes flashed open only to find that the dream had faded. He was no longer in that horrible place where Noctis looked so wrong, although his heart was beating rapidly and aching terribly. Ravus was leaning over him, his hands on his shoulders, as if he had been shaking him awake. “You were crying out in your sleep.”

“Sorry,” Prompto said, his voice hoarse from sleep and likely for screaming too. It wasn’t the first time any of them had a traumatic nightmare, but Prompto definitely had the most of them. He felt bad for it too. They had all suffered. What gave him the right to monopolize on that and be so afraid in his sleep? 

“It’s quite alright,” Ignis murmured, sitting on the cot across from him. “This place doesn’t exactly summon forth a lot of warmth and comfort.”

“Yeah,” Prompto replied, unable to really think of what else to say. Ravus helped him sit up, as if he was a fragile being that had to be protected. Prompto had to admit that he wasn’t feeling well, and since he saw Noctis literally leading him to that room, he considered that he was going crazy as well. 

“We should get moving,” Gladio considered. Prompto noticed that Ravus kept his hand on his thigh and wasn’t sure what to do. It was pretty much an open secret that Ravus liked him now, but Prompto had been able to navigate away from such conversations and indications for a long time. Sitting in close quarters now in a small bunk was a bit harder to avoid. “The longer we sit here, the more likely we’ll run into trouble.”

“Gladio’s right,” Ignis said, standing up quickly. Prompto followed, wobbling a bit, only to have Ravus hold onto his arm to steady him and provide support. He hated whatever Ardyn did to him, knowing that his body was wearing out too quickly and too painfully. If his intuition was right, he knew that he was on borrowed time. He just hoped that he could make it to see Noctis return. 

“What are we waiting for then?” Prompto asked with a nervous laugh in his voice, shaky and uncertain. “We’re not going to figure this stuff out until we do.”

“C’mon,” Gladio grumbled before opening the door and making his way out. Prompto knew that Gladio had been sore about Ignis and Ravus tagging along, but Prompto hoped that Gladio would maybe just try and make up with Ignis. After all, Ignis consistently made longing expressions at Gladio, even though he’d probably deny it if Prompto pointed it out. It would likely take a miracle for them to finally sort out their stubbornness and get back together.

They all resumed their search, likely only after a couple hours of rest based on how tired Prompto still felt. Then again, he was tired all the time recently and wouldn’t have been surprised if he slept for two days and still felt the same. Recently he had been so worn down by the journey, the unknown, the absence of Noctis, he knew that it was impacting his already declining health. If something didn’t change, Prompto didn’t doubt that he wouldn’t last much longer.

“Here,” Ravus indicated as he stopped in front of a door. “It looks like the media equipment is still working, and we’re lucky there’s enough electricity leftover in this place.”

They followed him inside, and Prompto’s nerves began to spike. He thought of his dream and worried that it was a warning of what was about to happen to him, that he was going to lose himself entirely thanks to Ardyn. That couldn’t happen, not when Prompto was anticipating Noctis’s return. He kept repeating in his mind that he had to make it to Noctis’s return. That had to happen.

“We need to be cautious about viewing the contents on the drive,” Ignis warned as Ravus started up the computer system, the machines whirring to life with protest. Once it was booted and ready to go, Ravus plugged in the drive and they waited.

It didn’t take long. The large screen in front of them sprang to life with a video recording of Ardyn’s horribly leering expression, his eyes nearly penetrating Prompto’s soul. Immediately, Prompto feels terrified to the point that he’s tempted to ask them to turn it off and just tell him what it said later, but he knew that he had to be brave. He had to know what he was facing.

“My dear Prompto,” Ardyn said on the screen, his smile growing wider. Prompto had to remind himself that it was a recording, but even then it did little to comfort him. “I hope you are enjoying the time that you have left on Eos, although I doubt it. I do hope that you found this sooner rather than later as well.

“I’m sure you have many questions,” Ardyn continued. “In fact, at the time of this recording you are currently recovering from your surgery. You see, you never had the opportunity to experience the wonderful enhancements the Empire is capable of. It all feels so real, doesn’t it? But your body is no longer yours. Yes, it feels the same, but it’s not. All of your skeletal structure has been replaced by metal. Your entire body is made of wires meshed with your human system. Capable of so much. Likely to accomplish so little.

“Why do it, you may ask. The answer is I wanted to. And I figured that you’re on borrowed time anyway, so you might as well enjoy the benefits of your father’s technology.” Ardyn laughed, a sinister laugh that brought chills reverberating down Prompto’s spine. Panic coursed through him when he realized that his spine was now made of metal.

“‘But Ardyn, whatever do you mean by borrowed time?’ A valid question, my dear Prompto. Look at the tattoo on your wrist. Look at the specifics of it. Do you see the serial numbers on it? That means that you are damaged, not meant to last. None of the magitek troopers were, but you were a special sort of screw up. How old are you now? It doesn’t matter. According to your father’s calculations, and he was seldom wrong, you will only live to about thirty.”

Ardyn kept smiling at the camera as if he was delivering good news to Prompto. Instead, he only felt a sense of growing dread. Everything that he suspected was true. Yet to hear it felt so much worse. His body was now entirely transformed into something he had only dreamt about in his worst nightmares, and now he was dying. How much time did he have left? Only about five years.

“I suggest you enjoy the time you have. You’ll need a lot of phoenix downs, potions, and other concoctions to help you fight your body deteriorating. If anything you should thank me as your new enhancements likely gave you the best fighting chance. But make no mistake, your body is wearing out, you are sick, and you will die.” Ardyn grinned a horribly evil grin at the camera. “I wonder if you’ll even make it to see Noctis return? I doubt it. He does like his sleep.”

The camera turned off, the video over, and they were all left in silence to contemplate what Ardyn had said. Prompto felt himself trembling, and he looked down at his hands, wondering just how much of him was left. Five years. That’s all he had. There was no future with Noctis, nothing to look forward to after the Noctis saved them all from Ardyn. He was damned, and there wasn’t any guarantee that he would live long enough to see Noctis again. 

“This can’t be true,” Gladio said, the first to break the silence. “There’s no way. He’s just trying to scare you. He’s just-”

“He’s right,” Prompto whispered, his heart feeling like it was about to jump out of his chest. “I can feel it. I feel my body wearing down. It’s why Verstael had no problem letting me be taken to Lucis, either. He knew that I am defective.”

“Sometimes the truth is worse than a lie,” Ignis indicated. “Prompto, we will do everything in our power to help you. We will look for a cure, help you with your pains, provide whatever medication we can. We will not let you suffer through this.”

“I just… I just want to make it until Noctis returns,” Prompto said, tears filling his eyes. “I just want to see him one last time before things end for me.”

“Don’t talk like that,” Gladio growled. He walked over to Prompto, his body posture threatening, but he pulled him into a hug instead. “We’re going to find a way for you to get better. I promise.”

Prompto could hear the worry in his voice and knew that the likelihood of them finding a cure for him was slim to none. After all, how did they just simply rewrite his genetic code? He was marked for death the moment that he was created. Amid all the fluttering chaos descending upon him, Prompto could only feel incredibly sorry for everyone else, especially Noctis. Had he known, he would’ve never fallen in love, he would’ve never let Noctis fall in love with him. He would’ve never let anyone into his life.

“There’s more on here,” Ravus commented. Gladio released Prompto, and they both looked at the files that he was pulling up. They looked like schematics, blueprints, and instructions on exactly what had been done to Prompto and what he could do with his new body. “Prompto…”

“I’m more machine than I am human,” Prompto realized, seeing exactly how much circuitry was involved in his makeup now. “What do I do?”

“Fight,” Ignis replied. “You fight, Prompto. Fight and hang on until we can find a cure for whatever is happening to you. We need to find a cure, and you need to hold on until we do.”

Prompto didn’t know if he could do that. After all, the chances of there actually being a cure seemed slim to none. There was so much work to be done as well that Prompto didn’t think they had time. Noctis could return at any time, and they had to be ready. Deep down, Prompto knew he was just rationalizing the truth.

The thought of dying wasn’t something Prompto wanted to contemplate, but he knew that he would do what he could for Noctis before that moment came. In the end, as long as Noctis was happy and healthy and returned safe, what happened to him didn’t matter. In that moment he resolved to focus on what he could do to make it to see Noctis’s return. After all, he knew that they were never going to be able to cure him. If he could at least just see Noctis one more time, then he would die in peace.

“I don’t think you need to waste your time on trying to find a cure,” Prompto said after a moment of consideration. Everyone stopped and turned to him. Even Ignis tilted his head curiously. “This problem sounds genetic. I’m not built to last. If I can just make it to Noctis returning then I’ll be okay. I will fight as long as I can, and I’ll do what I can to survive, but I’m not going to search for a cure. I know what my fate is.”

“Well I’m not accepting that,” Gladio said, a surge of passion in his voice emanating as anger. “That’s bullshit, Prom. There’s no way I’m going to just watch you die.”

“I happen to agree with Gladio on this,” Ignis remarked. “We’re not going to just let you wither away. We’ll fight, Prompto. So please just fight with us.”

Prompto nodded, but he knew it was useless. He had been marked for death the moment that he was born. In the ever ending darkness, it seemed fitting that he would find out the extent of just how damaged he was. The more he thought about his fate, the lonelier he felt. The more he had to accept that he was going to die soon, the more he just wished that Noctis would hold him in his arms, one last time.


	7. Reconciliation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ignis and Gladio talk

“What are we going to do?” Gladio asked them in hushed tones as they camped on the haven, almost back at the Hammerhead. Prompto was asleep, his head resting on Ravus’s lap, covered in a blanket that didn’t quite seem enough to keep him warm. “He’s dying.”

“I took all the research that I could with me,” Ravus replied, stroking Prompto’s blond hair with a gentleness that took Gladio by surprise. Who was the one that Ravus wanted? Ignis or Prompto? “Including what work I found of Verstael’s. He didn’t build the clones to last. They were always meant to be fodder for the war.”

“Prompto’s not fodder,” Gladio growled, his voice raising in his anger. Prompto let out a sigh in his sleep and shifted, forcing him to reign in his temper.

“That’s not what he meant, and you know it,” Ignis retorted, his voice low but firm. “As much as we want to ignore the truth, Prompto is a clone. He is not meant to live past a certain age because none of the clones were meant to. And now Ardyn has changed his body with Niflheim’s technology, which if anything, has been keeping him going longer. Like it or not, unless we find a cure to Prompto’s entire genetic makeup, he will die.”

“I can’t accept that,” Gladio insisted, tears coming to his eyes as a pain exploded in his chest. They were all silent, all of them unwilling to accept the truth but knowing it was inevitable anyway. Prompto was dying. Noctis was gone. They could only hope that Noctis returned in time to say goodbye to Prompto. “I mean… Prompto never did anything to deserve this.”

“You’re right,” Ignis agreed with a nod. His gaze was fixated on the fire, trained towards the warmth, although Gladio knew he couldn’t see anything. “He’s never done anything to anyone, and yet life has never been kind to him. And Noctis isn’t even here to help him through it.”

“He’s always been so devoted to Noctis,” Ravus murmured, drawing Gladio’s attention away from Ignis. “Maybe it’s time for him to let that go. Maybe he should focus on finding what happiness he can with what little time he has left.”

“Good luck with that,” Gladio said with a disbelieving laugh in his voice. Ignis nodded in agreement, and Gladio continued. “Prompto has been in love with Noctis since the first moment he saw him, I’m pretty sure. And Noctis had the same reaction.”

“Even if Noctis isn’t here, Prompto won’t betray him like that,” Ignis affirmed. “He’s always loved him. Noctis would understand if he was with someone else and focused on his own happiness, but Prompto would never forgive himself. They’ve been through too much, and he’s loved Noctis for too long to just let him go like that.”

Ravus looked down at Prompto, and Gladio suddenly understood what he was missing. He looked at Ignis, who kept his face trained towards the fire, as if the warmth of its glow reminded him of the sun. Ignis and Ravus were never together. Ravus wanted Prompto, but Prompto was always hopelessly devoted to Noctis. He never stood a chance, and Gladio couldn’t help but think that Ravus and Prompto were such a mismatch that it was almost a good thing. Then again, Ravus had likely cared for Prompto in ways that Gladio hadn’t even seen yet, despite the fact that they had been traveling with each other for more than a year now. Was Prompto aware of how he felt?

“Now’s not the time to live with regrets,” Gladio said to Ravus, taking a stick and stirring the fire. “If you love him, you should say something.”

“I know what the answer will be,” Ravus indicated, stroking Prompto’s hair as the blond let out a small whimper, whether in pain from his body or a nightmare from the long night, it was hard to say. He really was getting weaker as the years went on. “Why put myself through that pain?”

“If there’s little time left, then it’s important to say what needs to be said,” Ignis chimed in, the firelight reflecting in the lenses of his glasses. “Prompto will let you down gently. He’s too kind to be rude. And he deserves to know how much he is loved.”

There was a long silence following that statement. Everyone knew the truth, no matter how much they wanted to deny it. They had all looked through the work, the research, the videos. They had seen what was done to Prompto. If anything, what they had done was keeping his body going longer than it should have. Prompto was going to lose the fight, and all the remedies and potions they had were just helping minimize the symptoms until the end.

Gladio didn’t want to think about how someone he considered his friend and brother could just die like that. It was a cruel way to go, something that Prompto didn’t deserve. Yet there were times when he swore he heard mechanical wheezing emanating from Prompto while he slept, even before they had dared make the trek to Niflheim and discover the truth. And there had definitely been times when Prompto should have not been able to maneuver the way he could in battle. And now his body was giving up on him.

“Gladio,” Ignis said as he stood up, his head turned slightly as if he could see Gladio only out of his peripherals. “Might I have a word?”

“Sure,” Gladio agreed with a shrug. He got up and followed Ignis to the edge of the haven, just out of the warmth of the fire. Ravus wouldn’t hear them where they were, and Gladio suddenly found his heart racing in anticipation. 

At the very edge of the haven, he looked out at the world around him, the eternal darkness permeating everything like scourge seeping into their skin. It didn’t feel natural, and in moments like these, it was difficult not to think of all that had been lost. Gladio looked back at Prompto sleeping on Ravus’s lap as the silence between him and Ignis grew, a strange chill going through him when he noticed just how pale and sick Prompto looked. He had been pushing himself so hard and so far, but none of it would matter in the end.

“I think we need to take some of our own advice,” Ignis finally said, drawing Gladio’s attention back to the man that he had always loved. “It’s been several years since our argument. It doesn’t quite matter who is right or wrong or-”

“I’m sorry,” Gladio blurted out, causing Ignis to stop. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair, trying to think of the right words to say. He had been stubborn, foolish in assuming that Ignis wanted to bring Ravus into the fold for stupid reasons having to do with jealousy. It only took Ravus’s admission that he loved Prompto to realize it. More than that, he had always felt like he had failed Ignis one too many times.

“Gladio,” Ignis began, his voice softening. Gladio hoped it meant that he was hoping to hear those words, hoping to make amends and reunite. “I don’t need an apology. We… We were different people then. Neither of us were prepared for everything that happened. We weren’t prepared for this, let alone…”

Ignis indicated to his eyes, his blindness something that took them all by surprise. Gladio had never heard exactly how it had happened, just that Ignis had fought Ardyn and had gone blind as a result. He kept it close to his heart, unable or unwilling to speak about what brought him to that moment where he lost his vision. Gladio suspected it had to do with the Ring of Lucii, but Ignis never confirmed it one way or another.

“I need to apologize,” Gladio said. He had this weight on his chest, something that he had been bearing for all this time without ever being able to vocalize it. “I’m not good with words, Ig. You know that. But… I’m sorry. We all knew the risks, but when it came down to it… I was the one who was supposed to get hurt. Not you. Not Noct. Not Prom… I’m the Shield. I should be the one to make the sacrifice. But that’s not how life works. And I pushed you away because of it.”

“I know,” Ignis replied, a grief in his voice that Gladio clearly heard. “I know that you put the pressure on yourself to be the savior. But that’s not your job. You have done your job admirably, protecting the savior and now paving the way for his return.”

“Why are you talking about Noctis like that?” Gladio asked him, knowing exactly who Ignis was referring to. “He’s not a savior. He’s our friend. Our brother. Ignis, what do you know that I don’t?”

Ignis sighed and turned his head towards the darkness, as if he could find the answers within it through his blindness. “I’m sure you have wondered, but the reason I went blind is because I used the Ring of Lucii to stop Ardyn.”

“I thought so,” Gladio frowned. What did that have to do with Noctis? The ring had power that could only be harnessed by the line of Lucis, but Ignis had been a notable exception, despite the sacrifice it required.

“I was shown what must be done to bring the dawn back to Eos,” Ignis explained. Gladio felt an uncomfortable ache in his heart. He suspected what had to happen, but it didn’t mean that he wanted to hear it. “Noctis is going to die, Gladio. He will return only to die again. And with Prompto… it will just be you and me.”

“Does Prompto know?” Gladio asked. He was beyond anger now. Anger had come when Ignis had first gone blind, when Noctis had first gone into the Crystal. He had been angry for so long, and it had destroyed his relationship with the one person he loved more than anything, more than being the Shield even. Now was just a time to mourn and listen.

“No.” Ignis shook his head and sighed. “I couldn’t burden him with that. I know he’s not some helpless child, but it would devastate him. In his heart, I think he knows that it’s inevitable. But if he can just live with whatever hope he can hold onto until the end, then I’m not going to take it away from him.”

“Why are you telling me then?” Gladio asked. It worried Gladio that Ignis was suddenly opening this up to him. He felt a wave of grief wash over him, settling uncomfortably in the pit of his stomach, knowing what would become of Noctis when he returned, yet it was something they all knew. Deep down, they all knew what they were preparing for. So why was Ignis telling him this now, after all these years?

There was a noticeable shift in Ignis. He no longer stood as tall as he always did, no longer looked like the strong man that Gladio knew him to be. He looked smaller, weaker, like he had been worn down for too many years. There was pain in the way his mouth turned down, the fine curves of his lips resigned in his grief. A single tear fell down his face, and Gladio felt compelled to reach out to him. Yet he refrained, knowing just how proud Ignis was. 

“Because I need you,” Ignis admitted finally, a sigh escaping his lips as if he had been holding onto those four words for so long. “I’m tired of us being apart. I miss everything about you, even your damn stubbornness and pride and the way you put everything on yourself. I need you more than I care to admit, and never once have I stopped loving you. I do not consider myself a man to beg, but-”

Gladio didn’t let Ignis finish. How could he when Ignis was confessing that all of his strength was merely a ruse, as he had always known it was for all this time? Without even thinking about it, he wrapped his arms around Ignis and pulled him into a tight embrace, his lips pressed against the only one he loved more than life itself. And after all these years, to feel Ignis in his arms again, to feel him crumble and kiss him in return, was all that Gladio wanted or needed in that moment. They were bound together by their love, reunited by their grief, and holding onto each other for whatever hope was left. At the end of it all, they would be all that was left of the four of them that set out on a journey so long ago.

“Ignis, I love you,” Gladio gasped the moment he pulled away from the kiss, still refusing to let Ignis go. He kept his hands on the small of Ignis’s back, his body flush against his. “I never want to be without you again. When the sun rises, I want to be there to describe it for you. I can’t do this alone. I can’t say goodbye to Prompto and Noctis alone. Please… I love you.”

Wordlessly, Ignis kissed Gladio again, their tongues hungrily dancing as the salt of their tears mingled with their lips. Gladio reached his hand up and cupped Ignis’s scarred cheek, holding him as tightly as he possibly could, years worth of pain and suffering culminating in this one kiss. Try as he might, Gladio could not bring himself to let go. Now that he was holding onto Ignis, now that they were letting go of the pain and stubbornness, Gladio refused to let go of him again.

“Come on, Prom,” Ravus said softly as he stood up behind them, picking up Prompto in his arms. “Let’s get you to bed.”

“Hmm,” Prompto whined in his sleep, his head resting against Ravus’s chest. “Noct…”

No one had to point out the pain on Ravus’s features. They understood it well. Gladio had to admit that Ravus had changed a lot since things had changed. If he didn’t know how much Noctis and Prompto loved each other, how much they were really made to love each other, Gladio would have encouraged Prompto to let Noctis go and enjoy the time he has left. Especially now that he knew the truth and Prompto was slowly fading away. If Gladio didn’t know Prompto’s history with Noctis, he wouldn’t tell Ravus to prepare for pain after a confession.

Gladio and Ignis parted just long enough so they could take notice of the other two there. It was the first moment that Gladio felt something for Ravus other than contempt or hatred. He felt bad for him, sorry that Ravus had fallen for the one ray of sunshine in the darkness that was both in love with someone else and would be gone one day. Prompto had so much to live for, and yet he looked so fragile as Ravus took him into a two person tent they had set up since Ravus didn’t like sleeping within the larger tent with them. Now Gladio knew why.

“Come on, Ignis,” Gladio murmured into his lips before kissing him again. “I have you. I’m here for you. And no matter how much of a stubborn ass I am, I’m not going anywhere. Not again.”

“Neither am I,” Ignis agreed. His lips were so close to Gladio’s, his body so naturally fitting against his. “I have an eternity of darkness ahead of me. I’d rather be able to feel you within it than be left stumbling in the dark.”

Gladio wasn’t going to wait anymore, not after those words. He took Ignis by the hand and walked him to the tent, both of them kicking off their boots before they stepped inside. It wasn’t long before Gladio was hungrily kissing Ignis as he straddled his waist, their clothes falling away like the leaves of autumn ready to make way for a new season. Seeing Ignis again, naked beneath him and perfect, Gladio felt the weight of how much had changed while other things still stayed the same.

“I want to see you,” Ignis said as he reached up, his hands caressing Gladio’s face. “I want to see how much you have changed.”

“My hair’s longer,” Gladio said. Ignis immediately ran his hands through Gladio’s hair, the sides no longer shaved down, while they kissed each other deeply. “I guess I have a few more wrinkles.”

“You frown too much,” Ignis teased as he ran his hands over Gladio’s face again, his hands moving down to Gladio’s neck, his shoulders, his torso. “You have small scars all over your body and-”

“Mmnn,” Gladio let out a soft moan as Ignis caressed him, shuddering into the touch. “Ignis…”

“Some things don’t change,” Ignis finished, a smirk dancing on his lips. It fell away a moment later, his smile turning to a concerned frown. “I see you, Gladio. And I will love you until my last breath.”

Gladio felt a soft pain in his heart, and he leaned down and kissed Ignis’s eyes gently. “I will love you far longer than that.”

All words were lost to their passion, never having burnt out after all this time. Through gasping whispers and hushed tones, Gladio and Ignis lost each other in their arms. A desire unlike anything Gladio ever felt before coursed through him, and he paid careful attention to the fine curves and lines of Ignis’s body, caressing each part of him, from his supple lips to his long and lithe legs. 

Gripping Ignis’s hip tightly as Ignis wrapped his leg around his waist, nails digging into his skin, he forsake all need for quiet and rest in place of his love and passion. Soft growls of bliss mingled with desperate kisses and cries of ecstasy emanating from Ignis. Each movement was an act of life, a begging plea for more than just the darkness around them, a desire to be lost in each other’s arms.

Eventually they found fulfillment, some semblance of unity and love strengthening between them through the pain and grief. Breathless, panting, and sweating, Gladio found himself laying on his back with Ignis in his arms, not willing to part for a moment with him. Without any space between them now, without any need for words anymore, there was just them. Ignis was right. It would only just be them at the end of it all. They had to forget their petty arguments and remember just how much they loved each other.

“I hope you’re wrong,” Gladio finally said after a long time of just laying there with Ignis. An ache spread in his chest, one that likely wouldn’t go away. “I hope Noctis and Prompto will both live long and happy and healthy lives together.”

“I do too,” Ignis agreed, his body pressing against Gladio even more now, as if he was subconsciously trying to run away from the truth. “I hope they forsake it all and defy the Six.”

They both knew the truth, though. There was no fighting the will of the Six Astrals, no matter how much they wanted to. If they demanded a sacrifice, Noctis would go before the altar and offer up himself as recompense for the salvation of Eos. And Prompto might not even live long enough to see his return.


	8. Choices

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto is given a choice

The rest of the trip back to Lucis was relatively calm, save for the typical daemons that they all had to fight. Prompto insisted on fighting with them, on carrying his own weight, despite the fact that he could feel his body wearing out on him each time. Thanks to whatever machinery Ardyn had put in him, he was still fast, still a deadly shot, and still helpful. 

It didn’t make up for the difficulties that came with his body wearing down. Prompto felt like he was made of machine now, his joints like creaking hinges, his one eye often glowing red, his voice sounding mechanical and robotic at times. As a clone, his body was trying to keep up with the machinery that was no doubt keeping him alive. Prompto didn’t know whether to curse Ardyn or thank him.

When they reached Hammerhead, Prompto felt like he could sleep for ten years easily. His body was aching, and he only mumbled a quick hello to everyone as he passed by them, no longer the smiling and happy guy that everyone expected him to be. The others offered their help, but Prompto declined it, preferring just to lay down and get some rest after such a long and disappointing journey. The murmurs from those around him discussing his fate didn’t help, either.

The moment that Prompto fell asleep was the moment he felt someone calling him. He opened his eyes, finding himself lost in a swirling nebula, a void of colors that were neither warm nor welcoming. A sense of desperation filled his heart, and he began to run towards the sound of whoever was calling for him.

Drawing nearer, Prompto noticed a silhouette that was inevitably Noctis; he would recognize him anywhere. Noctis was laying down, aging as they all were but in a stasis, unmoving and unseeing. Prompto called out for him, hoping that Noctis would hear him, but there was no response. Noctis couldn’t hear him.

“Noctis!” Prompto screamed as he ran to him, drawing nearer. “Noctis!”

His voice was hoarse, his screams guttural and desperate. The moment that he reached Noctis, just a few feet away, he felt something shift. Unheeding of any consequences that would befall him, Prompto desperately screamed for Noctis, reaching out for him at all costs. Noctis heard him. Noctis opened his eyes.

“Prompto?” Noctis called out in questioning, looking straight at him. Prompto took another step to hold him, but something shifted and changed. Someone else was with them.

“Noctis!” Prompto cried out, ignoring all sense of safety as he tried to close the gap. He reached out a desperate hand for him, knowing that he would likely be too late. But then he felt Noctis’ fingers interlaced with his, a touch he knew deep within his heart. It was real. Wherever he was, he was with Noctis. “Noctis, I love you!”

Prompto managed to get the words out before he was sent flying back. He screamed for Noctis, his body tumbling through space. Noctis called for him, and Prompto desperately reached for the love of his life as he was pulled further and further away. Instead of hitting solid ground, Prompto was suspended in the air, his arms spread wide as if he was being held on either side by an unseen force.

“Ow!” Prompto let out a yelp as the force let him go. He struck a solid surface, although there was nothing nearby to indicate there was solid ground. When he looked up, Noctis was far away again, sleeping peacefully, and a looming figure stood in front of him, instilling terror into his soul. Bahamut. 

“How did you find your way here?” Bahamut asked him, his tone betraying no surprise. Either this was a test or he was good at hiding his emotions. “You are unworthy to be in this place.”

“Maybe to you,” Prompto said through gritted teeth, his anger at the Six winning out over his fear. “But Noctis thinks I’m worthy. And that is worth more to me than what you think.”

“You are bold, clone,” Bahamut boomed, his thunderous voice commanding and shaking Prompto to the core. He stood up slowly, not allowing his body to give up. “But you do not belong here.”

“I brought him here,” a woman’s voice said, a chill of a whisper going through Prompto. He watched as Shiva drifted down from the heavens, approaching Bahamut with no fear or pretense. “He is the king’s heart. And he’s dying.”

“Would you have me save him?” Bahamut asked, clearly not interested in doing that at all. Prompto didn’t expect to be saved, but he was both curious and afraid nevertheless.

“I offer an option,” Shiva said as she faced Bahamut. There seemed to be some sort of silent communication between the two, as if there was a solution to a problem that Prompto was unaware of.

“Very well,” Bahamut said. Shiva drifted around Prompto, placing her icy cold hands on his shoulders, as if she was acting like a comforting mother instead of an Astral. “Prompto, you have a rare opportunity. You are dying, but as the heart of the Chosen King, it may not be necessary for two to perish.”

“Two?” Prompto asked. He stared at Bahamut in shock and fear, not for himself but for Noctis. “You mean Noctis is going to die! I won’t let it happen!”

“It may not have to,” Shiva said, her voice softer and kinder than Bahamut’s. “Give him a chance to speak.”

Prompto looked at Bahamut with hard eyes, waiting for him to tell him the horrible news. “When the moment comes, you will have a choice. If you choose to save yourself, you will heal and no longer be in risk of dying. You will live a long life and die peacefully like any other human. But if you choose to sacrifice yourself for the Chosen King, then Noctis need not die. You will die in his stead, and he will live the many long years that you would have.”

“What?” Prompto asked, his heart beating rapidly, trying to absorb what Bahamut was. Noctis was born to die, as was Prompto but for different reasons. But now he had a choice. And no matter what he chose, one of them would live. Noctis could return and live. There wasn’t even a question in his mind. He knew right away what he was going to do.

“You have already made up your mind,” Bahamut mused, as if he was looking at a specimen in a lab instead of a person. Prompto shouldn’t have been surprised. After all, he was a clone, and the Six Astrals didn’t really seem to care what humans thought or felt in general. 

“Yeah, I have,” Prompto stated, gaining a strength to him that he didn’t quite believe. “I know exactly what I’m going to do. And I would’ve found a way to do it with or without your blessing.”

“Foolish mortal,” Bahamut chided him.

“I might be foolish, and I might be broken, but at least I’m not heartless. At least I’m not forcing someone to die because of fucking up.” Prompto glared at him, knowing that he could just easily be killed in an instant. His anger was boiling over, though. There was no way he was going to let Noctis die, and Bahamut needed to know he wasn’t going to back down. “I will not waiver. You’ll see.”

“I suppose we will,” Bahamut replied, amusement in his voice.

There was a loud clashing noise, and Prompto felt himself tumbling through the darkness once more, wondering if Bahamut had decided to just let him die after all. He let out a scream, calling for Noctis, knowing that the next time he did see him would be the last time. 

Prompto felt someone shaking him awake, and he opened his eyes to seeing Ravus tending to him, trying to get him to wake up. He inhaled deeply, feeling like he had possibly died then been revived. Or Bahamut had allowed him to wake up. 

“You weren’t breathing,” Ravus said, but Prompto wasn’t listening. He scrambled to his feet, his heart pounding in his chest. “Prompto?! Where are you going?!”

He wasn’t listening. Instead, he ran to find Ignis, feeling stronger than he had in awhile. Was that Bahamut’s doing? Was he trying to test him and make him question his choice? There was no way he was going to change his mind. 

“Prompto!” Ravus called, catching up to him. He grabbed his hand, making him stop. Prompto looked at him, his eyes wild. “What happened?! Where are you going?!”

“To find Ignis,” Prompto explained, his heart racing. “I have to find him and tell him. He’ll know how to help.”

“Ignis and Gladio are spending the night together,” Ravus said, looking at Prompto like he had gone crazy. “Prompto, what’s going on?”

“I can save Noctis!” Prompto exclaimed excitedly, his voice climbing a couple of octaves. “I can save him! All it’ll take is just me to sacrifice myself and-”

Ravus kissed Prompto suddenly, making him freeze mid sentence. His lips were soft, not chapped like Prompto’s were, and his hands on his shoulders were kind and grounding. If Prompto wasn’t hopelessly in love with Noctis, he could easily see himself falling for Ravus. They got along well, Ravus cared for him, and the taste on his lips was floral almost. But Prompto could only think about how he wasn’t Noctis, and how he had to save Noctis.

“What if you don’t have to sacrifice yourself?” Ravus asked him tearfully, still holding onto his shoulders as he looked at him solemnly. Gently, he took one hand and tucked it under Prompto’s chin, tilting it upward. “I don’t know what happened, but you look healthier now. Don’t sacrifice that for anyone else. You can be with me. We could be happy together. I love you, Prom. I won’t ask you to sacrifice yourself just to save me.”

“Ravus…” Prompto nearly whispered, his heart aching for a life that he couldn’t give Ravus. It was a terrible feeling, knowing that if their fates had been different then they might have stood a chance together. But that would’ve meant meeting Noctis after Ravus, or not at all. The thought filled him with a dread that was stronger than any feeling he might have been able to cultivate with Ravus.

“Please,” Ravus tried, his pleas soft and gentle. It was a far cry from the passionate desire that Noctis would beg for Prompto’s attention. It was passionate still, but not with the same intensity. “I don’t want to lose you.”

“Ravus,” Prompto tried again, inhaling deeply to steady himself. His mind was still on his encounter with Bahamut, but he collected himself enough to be able to respond to Ravus. He deserved that much. “I can’t love you like that. I’m sorry. I love Noctis. Maybe if we had met before I met Noctis, but… that’s not what happened. Noctis isn’t asking me to do anything. I’m pretty sure if he knew then he’d stop me. But I can’t forget him. I can’t move on from him. I love him more than I love anyone or anything. I don’t want to save the world, Ravus. I want to save Noctis.”

Ravus nodded as if he expected that answer, but he still looked crushed. Prompto couldn’t help but feel an immense amount of pain for him, but he wasn’t backing down or changing his mind. He knew what he had to do, and his mind was made up. There was no wavering from this decision. 

“I wish I met you first,” Ravus said sadly, releasing him. “Maybe you would have made me kinder from the start. Maybe you would’ve fallen for me instead.”

“I’m sorry, Ravus,” Prompto apologized, feeling far more sincere than he could have thought possible. “I love Noctis. I would do anything for him. I will do anything for him.”

“You said you are going to sacrifice yourself for him,” Ravus said, as if realizing what Prompto had said at last. “What do you mean by that?”

Prompto looked around, realizing that they were in the middle of the Hammerhead parking lot, their conversation far more exposed than preferable. They walked over to where Prompto had been sleeping and sat down. Prompto told him everything, knowing that at least one person had to know what was going to happen. When he was finished, he looked at Ravus, wondering what he was thinking.

“How do you know it wasn’t just a dream?” Ravus asked him, his brow furrowed in concern. “How do you know it isn’t just some trick of your mind?”

“I can feel it,” Prompto said. He sighed and attempted to elaborate. “I feel… healthier. I don’t feel like I’m dying as much. I know I am, and I can feel it pulling at me slowly, but it’s not as bad as it was. It’s like… It’s like Bahamut is giving me just enough time to save Noctis. Because at the rate I was going, I wasn’t going to last a few more weeks.”

“I don’t want you to die,” Ravus said, so very honest without any of the usual pretense. “I’d rather you live than Noctis. Maybe that’s selfish of me, but I think you deserve it more.”

“If you knew everything that Noctis had done for me, you wouldn’t feel the same.” Prompto shifted and pulled out his camera. He looked at the photos of him and Noctis together, some of them from times with Gladio and Ignis, some of them with just him and Noctis. “I’d be buried in the rubble of Insomnia if I never met him.”

There was an uncomfortable silence between them as Prompto thought about that fate. Ravus had been on the wrong side, the side that caused Insomnia’s fall, the side that killed so many citizens without remorse. Prompto lost his parents that day. Even though they weren’t exactly there for him all the time, they had still adopted him and provided for him. Noctis wasn’t the only one who lost his family that day. Everyone in their retinue did. Only Gladio had his sister out there still, often teaming up with them when she could.

“That doesn’t mean you owe him anything,” Ravus pointed out. “You don’t owe Noctis your life.”

“I know,” Prompto said, his eyes shimmering with fresh tears. He put the camera away. “But I can’t imagine living without him after this. He belongs here. He needs to come back and live a long life.”

“Think about his pain,” Ravus tried, his desperation reflective in his eyes. “How destroyed will he be knowing that you sacrificed yourself for him?”

Prompto shrugged. “It’s either him doing it for me or me doing it for him. I’m just a clone, Ravus. I don’t have much purpose beyond that. My body is wearing out, even with Ardyn’s enhancements. Even with Bahamut’s providence. Noctis is the Chosen King. It makes more sense to have him stay and lead than for me to stay.”

Prompto knew he struck a chord on that one. Ravus didn’t respond for a while, contemplating what he was going to say next. When he finally did speak, his voice was thick with tears. It was something Prompto would never be able to get used to. Ravus cried, but hardly in front of others, and certainly not for him.

“You’re wrong,” Ravus finally said. Prompto looked at him curiously. “You are more than just a clone. You are someone who keeps us all fighting. What will we do once you’re gone?”

“Fight for Noctis,” Prompto replied easily. “That’s who I fight for. It’s who I’ll always fight for. I’m sorry, Ravus. I’ve made up my mind.”

“Well I’m going to do everything I possibly can to change your mind,” Ravus said stubbornly. “I love you, Prompto. And because I love you, I’m going to fight for you. I will do everything I can to try and keep you alive.”

Prompto smiled at Ravus sadly. “Thank you. Noctis would do the same.”

It was a harsh statement to tell him, but it was the truth. Noctis would never want him to die for him. Nevertheless, Prompto wasn’t going to waver.


	9. The Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noctis returns

The return of Prompto’s health struck everyone as odd, save for Ravus. He was quiet about it, uncommitted, and very interested in talking to Prompto in hushed whispers at any chance that he got. Prompto decided not to tell Ignis or Gladio, knowing that they would try to stop him from sacrificing himself. It didn’t make sense to Prompto. He was slated to die already. Why not die saving the one he loved? It was better than healing and living in misery after Noctis was gone permanently.

There were still some consequences, of course. Prompto’s eyes flickered red, mostly his left one, whenever he overexerted himself. Sometimes his voice modulator, as he came to learn that was what it was called, failed him. He sounded like a robot mimicking a human, and it wasn’t exactly pleasant for anyone. And then there were times that he just glitched, went blank, and his limbs jerked and moved awkwardly. He felt like he was a tin man from the old movies, but there was nothing he could do except cope with it and be grateful he had enough of his health to make it to the end.

It wasn’t for lack of trying, either. Cindy did what she could to assess the situation, to try and figure out his mechanics and help him function a bit better. The problem was that human systems were so much more complicated. Even with Verstael’s work, Cindy didn’t really know where to start. Prompto eventually gave up, knowing what the outcome of his life would be anyway. Everyone fought him on it, especially Ravus. Eventually, they gave up the fight.

On the tenth anniversary of Noctis’s disappearance into the crystal, Prompto woke up feeling like something was different. He swore that he felt like Noctis was back on Eos, like he could feel his presence there when all others were blinded by the darkness. Although he couldn’t explain it, he knew that something was different. Instead of getting up and dressing in his typical clothes, he pulled on his royal retinue uniform, good for combat and regal enough for formal affairs.

When he stepped out of the Hammerhead and met up with Ignis, Gladio, and Ravus, he noticed that Ignis and Gladio were both wearing the same uniform he was. They must have felt it too. Either that, or Ravus told them that he was dressed like that. He was keeping a very careful eye on Prompto in case he thought of doing anything rash. Prompto assured him that it wasn’t necessary; he wasn’t going to sacrifice anything until it was the right time.

Before anyone could say anything, a truck pulled up to the Hammerhead, making its way quickly past the gate so as not to let any daemons in. Prompto recognized it as Talcott’s truck, but with the headlights on he couldn’t tell if he was transporting any precious cargo or people he had luckily found. They all knew he was going to be in Galdin Quay, as everyone knew who was still alive. It was important to know where people were at all points in time, just in case they needed help.

Talcott got out of the cab of the truck, and Prompto watched as someone else got out of the passenger seat. He stood, transfixed, as he watched, unable to think about anything else but what he knew to be the truth. It was evident to him from his silhouette alone. Prompto knew exactly who it was before Talcott could even turn the lights of the truck off.

“It’s Noctis,” Prompto breathed, standing next to Ignis so that he could understand why there was a hushed silence around them all. He was excited, awestruck, and an overwhelming cacophony of other emotions he couldn’t quite describe. The only thing he wanted was to reach out to Noctis and grip him tightly, but there were so many others who were looking at the One True King in admiration and hope. 

“Hey,” Noctis said awkwardly as he approached them. He had aged ten years, just as they all had, and had facial hair now that needed to be trimmed. Prompto had experimented briefly with facial hair but opted to cut it eventually. It was better that way. “Long time no see.”

Prompto noticed the way his eyes lingered on him longer than the others, and he felt his heart skip several beats. It was him. It was really him. As much as Prompto knew that his fate was sealed with Noctis’s return, he didn’t care. All he wanted was a moment with Noctis. Just one moment, one kiss, that was all it took for him to give up everything. But what was everything if he didn’t have Noctis? He was more than his everything. 

There was a series of people welcoming Noctis back, of Gladio and Ignis catching him up on what happened, on Ravus apologizing for the past. It wasn’t until they all seemed to collectively realize that Prompto hadn’t said anything to Noctis all this time. He could only stare and try to comprehend what he was seeing. Noctis. The love of his life. The best and only thing that kept him going through the darkness.

“We should give them some time,” Ignis said in a low voice to Gladio and Ravus as they attempted to continue talking to Noctis. Ravus looked distraught by the notion, but he didn’t say anything. Ignis turned his attention back to Noctis and Prompto. “Why don’t you two go and catch up? We have time. The caravan is empty.”

“Thanks Ignis,” Noctis replied, clearly taking him up on his offer. “Uh… Prom?”

“Y-Yeah,” Prompto said, nearly stumbling over his feet when he took a step forward. Ravus caught him by the wrist, making him turn and look at his friend and companion.

“Don’t go,” Ravus whispered, low enough so only he could hear. “Please. Choose me. Don’t go. Don’t die.”

Prompto smiled and gently pulled away from him. “I’m sorry, Ravus.”

His decision was made, his mind made up, and he walked over to Noctis, wanting nothing more than to hug him and hold him. Yet there was something that had changed between them. Perhaps it wasn’t something but someone. It was both of them. Ten years was a long time. There was a lot to catch up on.

Noctis reached out and took Prompto’s hand, grasping it and holding it tightly. It was exactly like Prompto remembered, and he reminded himself that while things changed, some things stayed the same. There was a soft smile emanating from Noctis’s eyes, and Prompto looked at him with a hope that he couldn’t quite describe. The only thing he wanted was to be in his arms, but it was so difficult for him to even find the words to say. He hoped his voice modulator didn’t fail him too.

Neither of them said anything as they made their way to the caravan, the others happy to occupy their time by explaining to the rest that Noctis needed a moment before he figured out the plan for their future. Prompto felt bad at first, but then he supposed that they could have at least some time together. Either way, Prompto was going to allow himself at least one moment alone with Noctis. 

Once inside the caravan, they looked at each other nervously. Prompto sat on the bed and watched as Noctis locked the door and turned on a couple of lights. It was familiar, a space that they had both occupied in kinder times. Prompto remembered their first time had been in this caravan, when they had decided to stop and go exploring after a trip to Galdin Quay, opting to spend the night there. Ignis and Gladio did most of the exploring outdoors. Prompto and Noctis opted to explore each other’s bodies. 

“Remember this place?” Prompto said, finally breaking the silence between them. He patted the bed, looking anywhere but at Noctis. “We finally got to be together and-”

Noctis cut Prompto off, his lips suddenly pressed against his, hand on the back of his head, fingers trailing down his neck. Prompto remembered the taste of those lips, and although they had aged, they tasted just as sweet as before. He closed his eyes as he pressed deeper into the kiss, their tongues soft and gently caressing yet hungry for more. Yet their lips did eventually part, and Noctis leaned over while pressing his forehead to Prompto’s.

“I’ve waited ten years for that kiss,” Noctis said quietly, his expression burdened and troubled. There was a wealth of information that had been lost between them, so much time that was gone that they would never share or get back. And the end was coming for at least one of them now. It was a pain they both knew, although Noctis was none the wiser for what Prompto was planning. 

“Noctis…” Prompto said, considering whether he should tell him or not. He figured that it was better not to say it. “I love you. I’ve missed you so much.”

“I missed you too,” Noctis whispered before kissing him again, this time lightly. “I’m sorry it took so long. I wanted to be back sooner but… I just couldn’t.”

“You’re here now,” Prompto replied, grabbing the wrist of Noctis’s hand that was holding the back of his head. “That’s all that matters. You’re here, and I’m here. And when we face the dawn, we’ll do it together.”

Before Noctis even had a moment to contemplate that thought, Prompto kissed him deeply, pulling him on top of him so that they could enjoy one of their last moments together. They took their time, both of them enjoying reconnecting after so long, both of them sorrowful knowing that this was likely the last time that they would be together after everything. Through the bitter end they always had each other, and Prompto would make sure that Noctis lived to see the dawn.

“You have a lot of scars now,” Noctis pointed out once they were naked, Noctis straddling Prompto and he caressed every inch of Prompto’s torso. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there to protect you.”

“Dude you know me,” Prompto said, giving Noctis the same smile that he always had, fighting back the tears that were new to the One True King. “Most of these are from falling flat on my face.”

Noctis offered a warm smile, as if relieved that Prompto was still the Prompto he knew. A part of Prompto screamed to tell him the truth, that he was no longer the same man, that he was more machine than anything. But the thought of telling Noctis something so painful, only to know that they were going to die, was something he just couldn’t will himself to do. If this was their last time together, alone, then Prompto was going to hold it sacred for the rest of his life and beyond.

“Noctis…” Prompto began once more, his fingers caressing Noctis’s cheek lightly. “I want to remember this moment forever. You are the greatest thing to ever happen in my life. Without you… There is no without you. I’ve always been yours, and I want to hold you.”

One last time. He couldn’t finish the sentiment, but they both knew it, if only for different reasons. Noctis didn’t say anything. He only leaned forward and kissed Prompto passionately, both of them giving way for their grief and heartache, their love and their desire. Prompto felt every inch of Noctis’s body within reach as they ground their hips together, bodies aching for more and more touch.

They only had the everlasting night until the dawn rose on Eos once more. As Prompto felt Noctis touching him, preparing him, he gasped and moaned, his tears freely flowing out of the pain of knowing he was going to say goodbye. Noctis seemed to feel the same, and they were quickly joined as one, their bodies thrusting in tandem as they did everything they desperately could to hold onto each other and join as one. 

Gasps and moans became proclamations of their unyielding love, their torturous life that they knew would end in pain and suffering. Yet they did it anyway, holding onto each other with a desire to keep loving despite all that the world had to bring them. It didn’t matter if Prompto was going to die, it didn’t matter if he had been transformed into something that was unrecognizable beneath his skin. All that mattered was being with Noctis, of them together and in love, that they should reunite after ten long years full of agony and pain.

Prompto didn’t know how long it was before their bodies succumbed to bliss. All he knew was that Noctis was there, and they were left squeezing into a small bed, with Prompto practically laying on top of Noctis and the king held onto his lover. Prompto rested his head on Noctis’s chest, both of them breathless and panting, neither of them quite willing to move.

“It took a while because I didn’t want to let you go,” Noctis finally said, breaking the silence. “I had to prepare myself for the end, and even now, I don’t think I’m ready to let you go.”

“It’s a good thing you’ll always have me then,” Prompto answered, tears in his eyes. He looked at Noctis, his pain gripping his heart and tearing it to shreds. While he knew that he had the choice to live or die, he also knew that it was going to be a choice that would kill the other. And he couldn’t stand to face a world without Noctis. “Wherever you are, I will always be with you.”

Noctis ran his hand through Prompto’s hair, a sad and soft smile on his lips, his eyes gazing at him lovingly. “You’ll always have me too, Prompto. I’ll never leave you. Not really.”

“I know,” Prompto agreed with a nod. “Same here. Hey, do you think in our next lives we’ll be reincarnated as soulmates?”

“Well that’s the thing about being soulmates already,” Noctis promised. “We always find a way back to each other.”

Prompto and Noctis kissed each other again, knowing that there was a time for words and a time for action. Maybe in their next lives they would find each other. Prompto didn’t doubt it. And truth be told, neither did Noctis.


	10. Lullaby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group prepares for the final fight

They all knew that this was their last night together, whether anyone wanted to admit it or not. Ravus had given the four the opportunity to spend it together, just as they used to, although there was a long conversation with Prompto before that moment. Of course Ravus had seen Prompto and Noctis go into the caravan and their first kiss after so many years apart. Ignis didn’t doubt that he needed time to recover from the heartache alone and away from them.

There was something else that was bothering Ignis, something he couldn’t quite place. He could hear Ravus and Prompto talking in hushed tones, just far enough away that his heightened sense of hearing didn’t pick up on enough of what they were saying. And Prompto was healthy, far healthier than he should have been by this point. Sure, there was plenty of evidence that his body was slowly giving out, but at the beginning of their discovery it was as if he was going to pass away in just a few weeks. Now, though, Prompto was having issues, but it was nothing like what he was like before. And Ignis doubted that Prompto had told Noctis.

After they sat around the campfire, listening to Noctis essentially tell them goodbye and that he loved them in not so many words, Ignis went to say his own personal goodbye to Noctis. Ignis had assumed that the tears Prompto shed were like all of theirs, his expressive demeanor due far more because of his relationship with Noctis. All of his concerns for Prompto disappeared the moment that he grasped Noctis’s hand. 

It wasn’t that he forgot all of his worries entirely. It was that there was a new thought that he hadn’t considered before. Noctis’s hand felt older than he remembered it, aged just as they had, yet somehow aged beyond them all. There was a pain in Ignis’s heart as he thought about how the last time he saw Noctis had been when he was in his early twenties, when he had yet to be burdened with his fate and his purpose. Now, Noctis was so much older, somehow older than they all were, and all the gentle innocence had left him. 

There would be no more fishing trips, no more joyrides, no more trips to the arcade. There would be no more moments of Ignis shouting at Noctis to eat his vegetables, of reminding him to clean his apartment then doing it anyway. Ignis knew it all this time, yet he had somehow deluded himself into thinking that when Noctis returned things would be different, things would be better. Somehow they would defy fate and Noctis would live. That was impossible, and Ignis felt a tear drip down his face as he fully committed himself to the cause while understanding that this would be the last camping trip they ever had.

“Can you do me a favor?” Noctis asked Ignis after a long moment of them just gripping each other, holding onto the last moment they would have before the end inevitably became the present and inevitably their past. “Can you look after Prompto? You know? After everything?”

“Of course,” Ignis replied, although his heart ached for Noctis. So Prompto hadn’t told him the truth, hadn’t told him that his life was wearing out and that the only saving grace was, somehow, was what Ardyn had done to him. “He loves you very much, Noctis.”

“I know,” Noctis replied. Ignis heard his voice grow thick, the tears likely dripping down his face as assuredly as they flowed in Ignis’s heart. “I love him so much. It took me forever to let him go, to face the reality of my fate. And when I did… there he was again. It’s harder than I expected. Or maybe just as hard. I don’t know anymore, Ig. I don’t want to leave him.”

“You won’t,” Ignis offered, although he knew it wouldn’t ever be the same. Not now. Not ever. “You’ll be with him, watching over him until it is time.”

At least the two would be reunited soon. At least they would be with each other in the afterlife without much time to waste. It wasn’t a warm thought, because it meant that Ignis and Gladio would be left with just each other. They were losing both their king and their friend, their brethren through all the pain and suffering. And there was nothing they could do to stop it.

“Thanks Ignis,” Noctis said softly, his voice hushed as if still contemplating his own fate. “For everything. Sorry I was such a brat.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Ignis offered with a soft smile. “Come now, Noct. Let’s join the others.”

“Have you and Gladio gotten married yet?” Noctis asked as they walked back towards the campfire, the warmth on Ignis’s face welcoming. 

“Not yet,” Gladio replied, overhearing them. “We uh… We broke up for a bit. We worked it out, but you know how stubborn we are.”

“Damn,” Noctis muttered. “Without me, you all fall to pieces.”

“Naturally,” Ignis chuckled a bit. “What would we do without a fishing trip to smooth things over?”

“Guess you’ll just have to take Prom fishing now,” Noctis offered. They fell into another silence, all of them knowing that it wouldn’t happen, save for Noctis. It was a difficult truth that no one wanted to admit to Noctis, and Ignis understood. At least Noctis should have the hope still that the love of his life would continue on after him, even if it wasn’t the truth. 

“We should probably get some rest,” Ignis advised, knowing that it would be a long fight ahead of them. Whatever Ardyn was to bring them would be difficult, bloody, and painful. They knew that not all of them would make it out, but they hoped that at least three of them would live to see the dawn. It was all they could hope for.

“That’s probably for the best,” Prompto added, speaking up for the first time in a while. “I’ll see you all in the tent.”

“I’m going to join him,” Noctis added. He followed after his lover, both of them disappearing into the tent for what was likely their last private moment together. Instead of immediately following, Ignis hesitated, and he sensed that Gladio was still there as well.

“He hasn’t told him,” Gladio said in a low voice so that they couldn’t be heard within the tent. “Do you think he will?”

“I hope not,” Ignis answered honestly. He felt Gladio reach for him, and he took his lover’s hand in his. Gently, Gladio guided him to his lap, and Ignis didn’t fight it for once. If he was honest with himself, he just needed a gentle touch. “Can you imagine Noctis facing what’s ahead while knowing that Prompto won’t even be there to enjoy it? It would destroy him.”

“You’re right,” Gladio replied. “Ignis, you have to promise me something. And before you object and say you can’t guarantee anything, just do it. Please? For me?”

“Of course,” Ignis said shakily, his heart pounding. He knew that Gladio was going to ask for something impossible, something unattainable, but he would promise it anyway.

“Promise me you won’t die,” Gladio asked of him. “Promise me you’ll do whatever it takes to live.”

“I will swear it if you will do the same,” Ignis offered. He felt Gladio’s hesitation and understood it. Gladio was Noctis’s Shield. He was supposed to die before Noctis did. But that wasn’t what Ignis was asking. He was asking for him to live beyond his king, to go against his very training as a Shield. He was asking Gladio to fail in his purpose. “Gladio… His fate is sealed. Please do not seal yours with it.”

After a long silence, Gladio finally spoke. “I promise. I will do what is within my power.”

“As will I,” Ignis replied. He leaned forward and kissed Gladio’s lips, sealing their promise as if it were a solemn vow. Gladio returned the kiss, their grief turning to passion for a brief moment, both of them just trying desperately to feel alive for the last time all four of them were together.

Gladio stood up, carrying Ignis with him bridal style until they reached the tent, both of them still kissing each other desperately. When Gladio set Ignis down, they both took a deep breath then stepped into the tent where Prompto and Noctis were waiting for them. Ignis heard them kissing, and for once he didn’t scoff at them. They deserved a moment or more to hold each other one last time. It was the least of which they deserved.

It was so natural for them to fall into the same formation that they always did, only this time everyone was aware that this was the last time they would all be together in the tent. Gladio laid next to Noctis in the event that he needed immediate protection, Prompto laid next to Noctis in the center, and Ignis was next to Prompto. Only this time they didn’t just get into their separate sleeping bags, save for Prompto and Noctis always curling up.

This time, they all got as close to each other as possible, every single one of them reaching out so that they were all touching and grasping each other in some way. Gladio draped his arm over them, his fingers resting on Prompto, and Ignis did the same, his arm draped over Gladio’s and touching Noctis as he curled against Prompto. Prompto and Noctis held onto each other, both of them being held by the older two, none of them daring to move for the fear that should they let go they would lose each other forever. 

Ignis wasn’t sure if any of them were going to actually sleep. Their grief was too much. All of them felt the same need to stay awake, to hold onto each other and remember each and every moment. Eventually, he heard the sound of Prompto sobbing into Noctis. They all only held onto each other tighter, the pain overwhelming them until they were all once more crying for the future they would have to face.

That’s when Ignis thought of it. The simple lullaby he sang to Noctis to help him get to sleep when he was a child. It was such a stupid thing to think of, yet it felt so important to hold onto in that moment. It had been so long since he sang that he wasn’t even sure if he could remember how to. But once he started, he heard the tears beginning to stop, all of them achingly clinging to each other, no longer caring about who they were holding onto. As long as they held onto each other, as long as they had each other, then that was what mattered. 

_And all through darkness  
Don’t you ever stop believing  
With love forlorn  
With love you’ll find your way  
My love_

_The world has turned the day to dark  
I leave this night with heavy heart  
When I return to dry your eyes  
I will send this lullaby  
Yes I will send this lullaby_

Silently, they listened to Ignis sing to them until they all achingly fell into a fitul semblance of sleep, lucidly aware that the end was upon them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like to HC that Ignis has a beautiful singing voice
> 
> The song is Josh Groban's Lullaby, you can listen to it (and weep like me) here: https://youtu.be/RgFWkKaZPhY
> 
> Additionally, this was probably the most emotional chapter for me to write


	11. Sacrifice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sacrifice is made

Ravus was waiting for them at the steps of the Citadel. He offered the sword to Noctis, who accepted it graciously, a moment of thanks shared between them. Prompto thought that perhaps Noctis knew that Ravus felt something towards him, that they were sharing a silent moment of communication because of it. Ravus was hoping that Noctis would convince Prompto not to follow. Noctis was hoping that Ravus would take care of Prompto once he was gone. Neither said a word.

The moment that Noctis made his way into the Citadel, the other three followed him. They weren’t going to leave him alone in this. They had all been through this journey together, and they would get Noctis as far as they could before Noctis told them to wait for him. Prompto could feel himself wearing down a bit more as he fought. Despite his speed and accuracy, elevated as always, he felt the gears and wires within his body faltering. At one point Gladio indicated that his eye was glowing red again. Somehow, he managed to hide it from Noctis. He didn’t need to know that at the moment of everything coming to an end.

By the time they reached the throne room doors, Prompto felt a beating in his heart that made his entire body feel on edge. This was it. This was now the time that he had been waiting for. Now was the moment where he would tell Noctis that he was going to take his place, that he would die in his stead. Was he even capable of killing Ardyn? How was he going to do it? He knew he just had to follow Noctis inside and face his fate.

But then Noctis was telling them that he was going alone and asking Prompto to see the photos he had printed out and stored in the armiger. Trembling, he handed them to Noctis, who selected one and handed the rest back to him. What was he going to do now? How was he going to help him if Noctis didn’t even want him in there? Did Bahamut play some cruel joke on him? Was he meant to just watch him die anyway?

With a final farewell, Noctis opened the door to the throne room, leaving them alone as it shut behind him with a resounding thud. Prompto reached out for him, but Ignis and Gladio gently put a hand on his shoulders, keeping him from moving. Prompto was effectively stuck, and he had to find a way to break free. He bit his bottom lip, considering telling them the truth of what he had to do. There was no way he was going to let Noctis die. It couldn’t happen.

“I have to go in there,” Prompto finally said, his voice barely above a whisper. “I can’t let him do this alone. I have to go in there.”

“He needs to do this alone, Prom,” Ignis replied sadly, his tone resigned in his grief. “He is the only one who can do this.”

“He’s the only one who can,” Prompto said, shrugging off Ignis and Gladio’s kind hands. He turned to look at them. “But he’s not the one that needs to die. There’s a choice.”

“Prom…” Gladio said. He looked at him in concern, like Prompto was losing it already in his grief. “We know what needs to happen.”

“Prompto!” Ravus called as he turned the corner, running up to them. Ignis and Gladio turned as Ravus approached them all, looking at Prompto with a desperation that Prompto felt for Noctis. “I’m not too late. Please don’t go.”

“I have to,” Prompto argued. He didn’t necessarily want to die, but if there was a choice between saving Noctis or saving himself, he knew which he would pick. “Ravus, I love him. I have to do this. I’m not going to let him die.”

“What are you talking about?” Gladio demanded, looking at them in obvious confusion. “Prom?”

“Bahamut gave me a choice,” Prompto explained quickly. “Me or Noctis. I have to go before it’s too late. I’m dying anyway.”

“But you won’t if you choose yourself over Noctis,” Ravus argued. “You can live a long life. Be happy.”

“I won’t ever be happy without him,” Prompto shot back. “I’m sorry Ravus, but it’s the truth. I have to do this.”

“It could just be a fever dream!” Ravus snapped. “You stopped breathing when it happened.”

Prompto looked at Gladio and Ignis, hoping that they would believe him. “It wasn’t a dream. It really happened. Ignis… Gladio… Please. Believe me. I can save him. He doesn’t have to die.”

There was a silence amongst them, all of them knowing that they were giving Prompto permission to either let Noctis die or sacrifice himself. It was a position that no one wanted to be in, but Prompto knew what he was going to do already. Ignis and Gladio would choose the same, and they all knew it.

“Prompto,” Ignis said quietly. “I cannot force you to stay or go. Do what you feel is best.”

“Thank you, Ignis,” Prompto said as Ravus looked grief stricken. He hugged Ignis tightly, feeling the warmth of his friend for the last time. Tears came to his eyes, but he was resolved. “I’ll miss you. Please take care of Noctis for me.”

“I will,” Ignis promised him, hugging him even tighter. “I’m going to miss you, Prom. You were the heart of us all.”

“I’ll be around,” Prompto replied with a sniffle. He pulled away and then hugged Gladio tightly, who lifted him off the ground as he held him. “Take care of Ignis, Gladio. He’s too stubborn to admit when he needs the help. And accept help from others too.”

“Whatever you say,” Gladio replied, his tears flowing freely. “I don’t want to lose either of you, Prom. But I can’t stop you. Just say hi to my dad for me.”

“I will,” Prompto agreed. Gladio set him down and released him, although his hands lingered just a bit more. Finally, Prompto turned to Ravus and took the prince’s hands in his. “Ravus… I love you. Maybe not in the way I love Noctis, but it’s love still. I hope that you find someone who can love you so strongly that they’d sacrifice the world for you. Take care of everyone for me. They’re terrible at taking care of themselves.”

“You don’t have to do this,” Ravus tried once more. Prompto gave him a sad smile, indicating that his mind was made up. Ravus looked devastatingly resigned. “I hope to meet you in another life.”

“Me too,” Prompto said. He gave them all a smile through his tears, the pain of saying goodbye nearly torturous. Noctis would live, though. And that was everything. “See ya, guys. Make sure you all take lots of pics for me.”

Prompto took out his camera from the armiger and handed it to Ignis, knowing he’d keep it safe for Noctis. Like Noctis, he selected a photo from the many he had, then gave the rest to Gladio. It was a photo of the four of them on a group date. Gladio had his arms around Ignis as they smiled. Prompto was kissing Noctis’s cheek as Noctis blushed.

Without saying anything else, he gave them a wave then turned around. Prompto took a deep breath and opened the door to meet his fate and to save Noctis. As the door closed behind him, he saw Noctis sitting on the throne, facing the ghost of his forefathers. There wasn’t a second to lose.

~

Noctis looked up at his father as he prepared himself for the end, his hands on the arms of the throne, gripping it tightly so that he braced himself for death. He stared at the spectre of his father, taking a deep breath, until he heard the door to the throne room close. Distracted, he looked down and saw Prompto running towards him, his blond hair shimmering amidst the ethereal blue of the kings that came before him.

“Prompto?” Noctis asked in confusion. Even the image of his father hesitated as his lover ran towards him. Panicked, Noctis realized he was running towards him, trying to reach him before it was too late. He called out to Prompto, terrified for his lover. “Prompto! No! Stay away!”

Prompto ignored him, and Noctis stood up, ready to push him out of the way at a moment’s notice. He couldn’t let him do this. He couldn’t risk Prompto dying in an attempt to pull him away from his fate. There was no escaping this, though. If Noctis didn’t sacrifice himself, then the rest of Eos would suffer.

“Prompto!” Noctis called for him as the ghost of his father positioned his sword to strike, no longer hesitating. “Stop! I have to do this! Prompto!”

He called for Prompto to stop running, but his lover didn’t even hesitate. He was fast, faster than lightning it seemed, and when he reached the top of the steps to the throne, Regis’s image began to strike. Noctis didn’t want Prompto to see him die, but it appeared he had no choice in the matter. He braced himself for the end, knowing that Prompto would get there too late, and faced his father once more as the sword began to rush towards him, seemingly slowly and yet all at once.

There was a flash of golden hair, a glimmer of sunshine Noctis thought at first, as the sword struck. Noctis anticipated feeling the cold sting of death when he heard the sickening crunch, but then he realized that something was off. His mind caught up to what he was seeing all at once, and he let out a scream as Prompto stood in front of him, arms spread wide to protect him and take the blow himself.

Time caught up to Noctis, and he felt the tip of the blade pierce his skin, but it wasn’t enough to kill him. Not anymore. There was a sickening crunch, and oddly the sound of metal on metal, as Prompto received the blade in his stead. Noctis let out a cry of terror as he saw the blade jutting out of Prompto’s back, right through his heart. Desperately, he looked up to his father, who only nodded at Prompto, as if to thank him. A moment later, the kings were gone.

“Prompto!” Noctis cried out as he caught Prompto, the blade falling out of him, seemingly with a will of his own. Prompto collapsed in Noctis’s arms, and the king slowly lowered his lover to the ground. To Noctis’s surprise, Prompto was still breathing. That was when he looked at him. “Prompto?”

Prompto was struggling to breathe as he stared at him, his pained expression tearful but also somehow grateful. One eye was the same beautiful blue with purple, a supernova of color within one being. But his left eye was looking at him with the red of technology, a mechanical eye that was struggling to focus on him. It flickered briefly, showing Noctis a glimpse of his eye color that he was familiar with, but then it was permanently back to the red glow that reminded Noctis of the MTs they had fought so many years ago.

Within Prompto’s wound, mixed with the obvious signs of humanity, were wires and circuits. Sparks flew out of the wound, and there was a mechanical whirring noise as Prompto struggled to breathe. What had happened to him? Had he always been like this? Noctis didn’t think so. What had Prompto hidden from him since he had returned? Why didn’t he tell him?

“Noctis,” Prompto said, his voice tinged with a hint of a voice modulator. He coughed and blood stained his lips. He was drowning in his own blood. “I’m so happy… I get to say goodbye.”

Prompto stretched his hand out weekly as Noctis held him in his lap, his head resting on one of Noctis’s arms. Noctis immediately grabbed Prompto’s bloodied hand, gripping it tightly to let Prompto know that he was there. He wasn’t going anywhere. “Why did you do that, Prom? It was supposed to be me.”

Noctis was vaguely aware of light beginning to filter to the unbroken stained glass windows. The dawn was coming. Prompto smiled at Noctis weakly, closing his eyes briefly before he looked at Noctis again. “I had a choice. I made mine. I love you, Noctis… I’ll always love you.”

“Prompto,” Noctis sobbed. He leaned forward, trembling as he managed to kiss Prompto on the lips, tasting his lover’s blood. He ignored the taste and kissed Prompto gently, fearful of what would happen if he applied more pressure. When he pulled away and looked at Prompto, he could tell that he was close. “I love you. Please stay with me. I can’t do this without you.”

“I’ll always be here,” Prompto promised him, smiling at Noctis as if he were merely taking a nap. “Ever at… your side…”

Prompto shuddered, the last of his breath escaping his lips. He fixed his gaze on Noctis then was seeing no more, the last thing he wanted to see was the love of his life. As he was no more, Prompto remained transfixed on Noctis, his one eye unseeing. His red eye faded away slowly, like he was his favorite gaming console being shut off for the final time. It flickered once then faded out completely, leaving Noctis alone with Prompto’s lifeless body.

Noctis let out a guttural scream, a shriek of terror and grief as he held Prompto’s lifeless body, trembling as he rocked him back and forth. He cried out for Prompto, cried out to curse the Six Astrals, screamed for losing his lover and the man that kept him going when he wanted to give up on everything. It wasn’t supposed to be Prompto. It was supposed to be him. Noctis was the one to die. Then why was he alive, and why was Prompto gone?

Distantly, he heard the sound of the throne room doors opening, but all he could do was scream and sob. Noctis held Prompto against his body, both arms wrapped around him, crying out for his love to return to him in some way. Prompto couldn’t be gone. There was no way he was gone. He couldn’t be. It was impossible. Noctis told himself that over and over again, but the truth was there for him to see and touch.

Prompto was gone.

As the dawn rose over the horizon, Noctis clutched onto Prompto’s body as he sobbed and screamed, his grief overwhelming any thoughts of triumph. Gladio and Ignis stood behind him, one hand on each of his shoulders, holding onto him as he cried out. Noctis refused to let Prompto go. He sobbed and cried, clutching him until his arms were sore and about to give out. Then he held him still, refusing to let go, refusing to follow Ignis and Gladio’s suggestion that it was time to go.

At one point, Noctis allowed Gladio to carry Prompto’s body out of the throne room so they could bury him. For now, though, he just held him. He held him and wept.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to [puffbird studio](https://twitter.com/puffbird) (also on [tumblr](https://puffbirdstudio.tumblr.com/)) for illustrating this heartbreaking scene. The entire fic stemmed from this one scene so I am so grateful to have been partnered with such a talented artist who was able to capture Prompto's pain so beautifully. I am so grateful to have the chance to work with you for this big bang, and I only hope that you enjoyed the process (and the fic) as well!


	12. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An old king sees someone again

Noctis sat on the throne, staring out at the empty throne room after the procession had left. It was the fiftieth anniversary of the return of the dawn, and the fiftieth anniversary of the day that he lost Prompto. He was an old man now, had never married, and had declared that Gladio and Ignis’s adopted child would be his heir to the throne. Ravus had successfully helped him claim and repair Tenebrae and Niflheim, and his children now ruled both countries. Peace had reigned since the dawn. For Noctis, it was peace and grief.

Now that Noctis was old and grey, he could feel the aches and pains of his body growing weary from the fight. The sunlight filtering through the windows behind him reminded him of the fate that befell Prompto, of the funeral they held, of the peace that came at his expense. Noctis had ensured that no one would forget who Prompto was and what he had done. 

Every year, this day was dedicated to both the dawn and to Prompto. Prompto’s birthday was a worldwide holiday, and Noctis would convey through an official announcement something that he had known about Prompto, something the world should know to keep him alive. Statues had been erected all across Eos, and Prompto’s tomb was granted the same grandeur as the kings. Noctis visited it daily, although now he had to have the help of those younger than him to get there.

Life had flourished since that day. All but Noctis’. His life had ended that day, and he felt like his heart had been missing for fifty years. Nothing could replace Prompto, and while many celebrated the dawn, Noctis felt nothing but darkness permeate his world. His sunshine had always been Prompto. Without him, it was truly an eternal night.

The door to the throne room opened and Noctis struggled to see who was approaching him now that his eyes were failing him. It wasn’t until the person was so close that Noctis could see that his hair looked like sunlight, that he was smiling at him as he ascended the steps, staring at him with blue eyes with a hint of purple. He was wearing the same clothes that Noctis always saw him in, the same shirt and jeans, the same bandana around his arm and the vest with patches.

“Heya Noct,” Prompto said as he stood in front of Noctis sitting on the throne, smiling as if he had only been gone for a moment to get some coffee for Ignis. He looked young, no older than in his early twenties, the age that Noctis and Prompto had the best time of their lives while on the road. “Long time no see. You ready?”

“Ready?” Noctis asked in confusion. Was he seeing things? But then Prompto held out his hand, and somehow he knew.

“Yeah,” Prompto replied. “You ready to go with me? You weren’t ready before, but I think you might be now.”

“How do you know that?” Noctis asked him. Nonetheless, he took Prompto’s hand, touching the smoothe fingers, tangible and real.

“Dude, I told you,” Prompto laughed. “Ever at your side, remember? Or are you too old to remember anything?”

“I remember,” Noctis said. Prompto pulled him to his feet, and Noctis felt a pressure lift off his shoulders that he didn’t even know was there. Looking down, he realized that he was in his clothes that he had always worn in his youth, the same black cargo pants, black shirt, and black jacket. He was even wearing his fingerless gloves and combat boots.

As he looked down, he was amazed to see that he was young again. Then he looked back to the throne and saw himself, old and worn out. He was sitting there, unbreathing and unmoving. Noctis realized that he was dead now, the last of the four to go. There wasn’t any sadness, though. He felt… free. Happy. Alive. And as he held onto Prompto’s hand, he realized that he felt complete once more, like his heart had finally returned to him.

“You came for me,” Noctis said softly, looking back to his lost lover. Before he could say anything else, Prompto pulled him into a deep and passionate kiss. Noctis rested his hands on Prompto’s hips, easily lost within his lover’s touch. After fifty years of being without him, Noctis swore that he was already in heaven. Prompto’s lips were just as sweet as he remembered them, just as soft. 

“I never left,” Prompto said. “Ready? Gladio and Ignis were arguing about whether or not they could come too, but Ignis put his foot down and said I gotta come get you myself.”

“Where are we going?” Noctis asked, walking side by side with Prompto with an almost giddy excitement, heading towards the throne room door.

“Don’t ruin the surprise,” Prompto teased, smiling at Noctis in the same way that he always did, the way that made Noctis’s heart beat rapidly in his chest. “Let’s just say that we have the pole and tackle ready and waiting. You’re really gonna love it.”

Noctis smiled at Prompto softly, feeling a warmth of love in his heart that was no longer stricken by grief. “I already am.”

They kissed each other once more, slow and deep and passionate, only to part to carry on their way to the perfect fishing spot that Prompto had picked for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all for reading! I wanted to focus more on emotion than on action in this, so I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> Huge shoutout to star54kar for being my beta reader. She kept me writing, enthused, and on track. (Same with puffbird studio as well! Thank you again!) You can find star54kar on [ao3](https://archiveofourown.org/users/star54kar/pseuds/star54kar),[twitter](https://twitter.com/star54kar), and [tumblr](https://star54kar.tumblr.com/)!
> 
> Thank you all so much for reading this! It was such an emotional ride as I wrote this piece, and I can say that I cried hard during certain parts. I really do appreciate it and I hope you enjoyed this (or enjoyed the angst XD). Thank you all again!


End file.
